Loving You
by iejabynks
Summary: This is the continuation of my first fan fiction Andrianne. Full summary inside.
1. Summary, Disclaimer, Authors Note

Loving you

What if Piper and Leo had another child, a daughter, she was only 2 when piper died in the future and very close to Chris. For some while she waited for Chris to return home but he did not so she went to the future herself hoping she could help both her brother and her family.

If Wyatt turns good the power of three will be reunited again but if she could not help save Wyatt the power of three will be banished forever.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or the Halliwell family. However I may also not own the original characters, maybe one or two. The original characters are mainly based on my friends but they don't even know it. I just like to write this story to torture the characters… I just love to torture other people's character…

A/N: Please give me some review… Please… Please… Please…

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This is the continuation of my first Fan fiction Andrianne… You might want to read Andrianne first but even if you don't read it I don't think it will make so much difference.

Picks up at the end of Andrianne and have some Hyde School Reunion scene in it and post Hyde School Reunion. In this story, it tells more about Andrianne and Chris also about their past… umm, I really suck at writing summary really but here goes.

Leaving Wyatt is never easy even though he's bad. But being with Chris just like being in a safe haven. Just as Andrianne learn to feel love, she was taken away again from all whom she love, from Chris and a new guy name Nadim…

Just as she learn to love a person she had to leave that person forever and she had to leave her bother unguarded by her love…

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Thanks to goddessa39, sylaine, Brooklyn Halliwell and sphinxgurl for your reviews… Thank you so much… I love you all for the comments… Sorry for procrastinating this story for too long…

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From Andrianne:

"What happened to you? Got blasted again?" Andrianne mocked looking at his shoulder.

"It's nothing. He didn't know you're here of else he would have asked. Means he didn't sent you here." Chris said. Andrianne smiled and shook her head. "Amuse me. Trying to show off your power?" Chris joked.

"We need to talk somewhere else." Adrianne said leaning on her brother. "But let me heal you before we go."

"Hey, who's the elder brother here?" Chris asked, pretending to be hurt.

"You. So?" She answered looking at him nonchalantly.

"Stop taking care of me. I'm supposed to take care of you." He replied.

"Yeah. Then stop getting hurt." Andrianne said simply. "I can't tend you every time you know." She continued.

"And why not?" Chris said pretending to be hurt.

"It hurts me to see you get hurt." She answered simply. "And because I love you." She said snuggled her brother


	2. Letting Go

Letting Go

The week had been dragging to an end. Chris watches Andrianne sit on the worn out bed reading in the backroom of P3. Never once did she complain. She never once whined. Instead, she constantly reminded him how lucky she was to be with him and in a peaceful place as this. Chris knows that because of his stubbornness and his arrogance, Andrianne was not as comfortable as she should be. Piper insisted for him and his sister to stay at their manor. The family house that he and Andrianne grew up in until it was turned into a museum by Wyatt.

Wyatt. He was the reason Chris came back to the past. He was the reason Andrianne was stuck in the past with him. He was also the reason for their horrible future. Nonetheless, he did not came back to stop that from happening, he did not come back to just merely turn Wyatt, but he came back to fix his family. He came back to warn them of the consequences of their actions.

Andrianne walked slowly towards Chris and sat by his knee. Leaning her head against his thigh she sighed quietly. "Are you sad that I came?" Andrianne questioned. It was not how she thought it would came out, but it did anyway.

"What?" Chris said a little shocked at her question. Andrianne straightened up and looked up at her brother. "What kind of question is that?" He asked. "Of course not. Of course I'm happy you're here. "I could never have asked for anything more than to have you here with me." He said as he leaned and touched his little sister's face. "What's wrong Andy?" He asked.

"Nothing." Andrianne replied. "It's just that never once I see you smile or laugh since I came here. Are you sad that I come or are you just mad at me?" She asked him.

"Andy, listen. You know that I came here to settle some things right?" Chris questioned. Andrianne just nodded. "I'm glad you came. I just have so many things in my mind right now." He answered. "Piper," he started. "I mean mom wants us to stay in the house. I told them, no." Chris said.

"But?" Andrianne asked sensing what her brother was going to say next. Chris just shook his head, and smiled. "You want to send me there? Alone." She questioned. Chris let out a loud sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "Chris?" Andrianne said softly as she rose to his level. "You made a promise six months ago you will come back to me. When you didn't, I thought you'd be glad to see me. Instead, you really are looking for a way to be away from me. Why? Am I that much of a burden to you?" Andrianne asked.

"God, Andy. No." Chris said regretting telling her his plans. "God, no. How could you think such a thing?" He asked. "I want you to stay with mom, and be like any other kid your age. Go to school, have friends and have a life. Besides, I haven't told them yet." He said as he gestured for her to come closer to him.

Andrianne had always been very close to Chris. Chris practically raised her up on his own, after the death of their mother. Andrianne backed away and sat on the bed. A tear rolled down her cheek. Disappointed and sadden, Andrianne just could not hold her tears any longer. She wanted to just scream at Chris for being so ignorant and self-centered at that point. Instead, she just sat in the corner and shed her tears silently.

"Oh, Andy." Chris rose and sat beside her. "All I wanted is for a normal life for you that I never had. I want you to feel the love of a mother. Andy, I'm sorry, princess." He said embracing the little girl. "Please don't cry, princess. I'm sorry. I'm not going to leave you again. I promise." Chris said as he caressed Andrianne hair softly.

Andrianne wrapped her hands tightly around Chris and mumbled something inaudible. Her tears soaked his shirt. She had always been the strong one between them, and to see her cry was very rare. She did not even shed a tear on their mother's funeral. Chris had a hunch something else was wrong and the reason for her to come to him instead of waiting for him as she would have done.

Chris just let her cry in his chest until she finally fell asleep. He laid her on his bed and dragged the stool for him to sit in beside her. Her little body was shrinking. Her face was paler than it used to be. Chris had a real bad feeling he was going to lose her.

Chris had been hiding from the sisters for almost a week and not making contact at all. He could hear Phoebe calling him and all but he just could not handle the might be reaction of his mother when she know about him. He sighed as he laid his head beside Andrianne. It was not too long before he found entering the dream land.

_Chris' Dream_

_Chris entered the familiar safe house cautiously. The sweet smell of strawberry and lavender stung his nose. Andrianne was sitting on the couch reading her book that he just gave her not two days ago. She was about to finish the 600 page book. He could see the frustration in her body language as he entered the room. _

_Another Chris sat opposite the little girl as he lowered the book softly. "Andy, I'm not going for long. I'll be back before you know it." The young man, who mirrors his look said softly. "I have to do this. I have to change our past to change our future. I have to go." He said unconvincingly. The little girl seems. like she was frozen in time. She did not budge a little. He knows she was unwilling to let the young man go. And he knows she disapprove of his plans._

"_You just want to eliminate him." She accused."How could you? How could you bear the feeling of killing your own brother?" She said. Her voice was low and filled with anger. Her eyes were glassy and hurt. _

"_Andy, I'm not going to kill him. I wouldn't. I couldn't. Not even if I wanted to. Andy, look at me please." The young man begged. His soul suffered a great pain. Torn between saving the people of the world from pure destruction and saving his splintered relationship with the only person left for him to care about. _

"_Prove it. Take me with you." She replied._

"_I can't." He answered. "Not that I don't want to. I can't." He said sadly. If he could, he would bring her along. He could not even want to think about the consequences of taking her along with him. He was afraid of hurting her. But he was already hurting her. "I promise I'll be back soon." _

_Andrianne rose from her seat and walked away from him. "Hope it's soon enough to catch my funeral." She said quietly as she slammed her bedroom door. The phrase he did not catch when he left. He just went and left her all alone in the house for six long months._

_Chris wanted so bad to wake up from the nightmare. He could still feel the ache of leaving his precious little sister behind, he needn't the nightmare to remind him of it all. He did not need to be reminded of how he hurt his little sister and he definitely did not need a reminder of how hurtful he felt when he had to leave her all alone. _

"_Please Chris, don't leave me." He heard his little sister cried from inside of her room. "Mom left me, Wyatt left, don't leave me too." She said quietly. The young man he was before him just walked away. He did not hear the sad cry of the little broken girl on the other side of the wooden door.  
End_

"Don't leave me Chris, please, don't leave me." Andrianne mumbled in her sleep. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said over and over again. Beads of sweat covered her little body. Her breath shallow and coarse.

"Andy. I'm here." Chris whispered in her ear. "I'm not going anywhere, dear. I'm here." He said as he sponge the little girl with the wet towel. "I'm always going to be here, baby girl. I'm never going to leave you again." he caressed her hair gently as he wakes her up. "Come on, little girl, we need to get you to a doctor."

"Chris. Chris, please..." Andrianne said as a tear rolled out of her eye.

"Andrianne Hope, wake up, princess. I'm right here." Chris said gently as he wiped her tear. Andrianne opened her eyes and instantly she threw her arms. around Chris.

"Don't leave. Please don't leave." Andrianne said sobbing in her brothers arms. "Chris, promise me you won't leave me." She said.

"Princess, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you I'm not going anywhere." Chris whispered softly. Andrianne nodded as she pulled away from her brother. "What's wrong?" Chris asked. Andrianne just shook her head. "Come on, I'll be here. Go back to sleep okay little girl?"

"Chris." Andrianne started. The word seems. lost in her throat. He was all she had all her life. She needed to know that he is going to be there for her for the rest of her life. "I'm sorry I slammed the door at you." She said. "I didn't mean it. I was scared you were not coming back. I was scared that you were going to do something stupid to Wyatt." She finally got it out.

"I know. It's fine. Just go back to sleep little princess. I'll be sending you to mom's for her to register in school in the morning. I promised Aunt Phoebe. So, get some rest." Chris said as he dimmed the light and went out the door. "Sleep tight, little princess."

Chris walked out to the silent dark street just to clear his mind and to absorb the moment that just passed. His dream. Her dream, it was almost like she was feeling what he was feeling. She was seeing what he sees and she was thinking as he did. He was afraid the day her powers matured will be too soon for her. It would be pre-mature and she would lose control. He was afraid he might lose her instead of the other way around.

Chris glanced at his watch. It was late, but he wanted to tell someone about her. About him. All he wanted is to do the right thing. To save his family, and just to provide for his little sister. "Chris." He heard her called. Her voice was near. He turned his head and saw his little sister beside him. Looking up to meet his eyes.

"Why aren't you a sleep?" Chris questioned.

"If it will make you happy, I will go and stay with mom." Andrianne said quietly not meeting Chris' eyes. "I don't want you to be sad anymore because of me."

Chris lowered his body to be at the same height as Andrianne. "Andy, I'm not sad. I don't want to force you to do anything okay." Andrianne just nodded in response. "Andy, look at me." Chris said cupping her face. "Hey, I'm not sad. I just have too much on my mind."

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Review please...

This would be my very first time posting before finishing the whole story itself.

And your reviews would be very much appreciated.


	3. Compromise

Compromise

Piper froze in shock as Phoebe and Paige told her about Chris. Phoebe had been trying to contact him for weeks, but landed no luck. He was keeping everything to . Even Paige tried but still the same replied she got from him.

Every time they went to P3, Chris and Andrianne would be out. There was no other way for them to tell the young man that his mother knows about him. "Andrianne? She's my daughter too?" Piper asked. Phoebe nodded. "Chris!" she called. "Chris if you can hear me, come here, right now." She said angrily.

"He's not answering. I tried that for a week." Phoebe said quietly. Paige nodded in agreement as she settled down beside Phoebe. "Maybe we should give him more time. He will come back here someday." Phoebe said.

"Relax, Piper. Why not we wait till morning and then we go and search for him." Paige suggested.

"You two drop the bomb saying I have another two children and you expect me to relax?" Piper raised her voice. "Phoebe, how could you keep this from me? How could you not tell me as soon as you know about Chris? Paige, why didn't you say anything? Why cover for him when I asked where he was?"

*******

"Chris, why didn't you tell mom? Why didn't you tell her yourself?" Andrianne questioned. Her voice soft and shaking. Chris shook his head, not knowing of the reason of his actions. He had none other than just to be close to the sisters, but at the same time, he needed to just keep below the radar. He wanted to be invisible yet known.

Andrianne just sighed. "I don't need her to know that." He said, avoiding her eyes. "I'm here just to correct what's wrong." He said quietly. Andrianne just smirked as she leaned on her brother. "Good lord." Chris uttered. "Baby, you're boiling." He said as he touched Andrianne's forehead. Andrianne just shook her head. "We need to get you to the doctor. You're getting really warm."

"I'm fine, Chris. It's just a mild fever." Andrianne said as she closed her eyes while her head was still leaning on Chris' chest. "I'll be fine." She reassured her elder brother.

Chris let out a loud sighed. "At least tell me if you're not well." Chris said, his voice sounded disappointed and hurt. Andrianne straighten up and placed her face into her palms. "What is it, princess?" He questioned softly as he laid his hand on the little of Andrianne's back. Andrianne just shook her head. "I know I have not been the best brother to you in a longest time, but I just have to come here to finish what our generation has started. I need to give you a chance to be with mom and for us to be a family again."

"It's not that, Chris." Andrianne said. "Really I'm fine. It's just a headache and a slight fever. Nothing to worry about." She said as she rose from the single bed she was used to sleeping on for the past week. Andrianne suddenly felt her vision blurred and her surrounding once again went pitch black.

It was as if the color had been drained from her face as she got up from the bed. Her usual pink blush skin was chalky white. "My god." Chris exclaimed. His breath was caught in his throat as he saw his little sister fell lifeless in front of him. His eyes burned as tears threatened to spill out of the lids. "Piper!" He shouted as he orbed Andrianne to the Halliwell Manor's attic. "Piper help me. Please." He cried. Cradling the little lifeless body in his arms.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige ran up the attic only to see the young man so torn and scared. Never had they seen Chris that scared of anything before. "Chris, what happened?" Piper asked as she approached her grown children.

Chris just shook her head. He had no idea what happened. Piper just cupped her son's face to face her. His blue eyes frozen in fear of losing the only person he cared about more than his own life. "Look at me Chris. Look at me." Piper demanded. Reluctantly he obeyed his mother. The feeling of déjà vu crept in his spine. "Chris tell me what happened." Piper said quietly.

The eye contact they made once again were broken by Chris. "I don't know." Chris said quietly. "We were talking. She stood up, then she fell." Chris said. His voice cracked. "Nothing happened. Do something please." He begged.

A groan escaped from Andrianne's lips. With a sigh of relief, Chris embraced the little girl in his arms.. "What's going on?" Andrianne asked in a whispery voice. "Why are we in mom's attic?" She questioned.

"You collapsed." Chris answered. "You have no idea how scared I was. I panicked and brought you here." He said quietly. Andrianne just let out a laugh and pulled away from him. "You sure you're fine?" He asked.

"It's just a fever. Why are you so worried?" Andrianne replied an answer. "Try not to be too tense all the time." Andrianne smiled at her brother. "And I'm sorry for him bothering you all." Andrianne apologized to the sisters.

"Andrianne, we know." Piper said touching her hand. Andrianne looked at her puzzled. "I know you're my daughter and he's my son." She looked at Chris as she uttered her words. Andrianne and Chris froze, unsure of how to react. "You should have told me Chris."

Andrianne looked at Chris. "I, we didn't want you guys to know. We just thought of cleaning up what we started and take him back home where we belong." Andrianne reasoned.

"With what? We don't have the time travel potion. We don't have the spell." Paige said. "Unless you're not telling me something."

"No." Andrianne said disappointedly.

"Andrianne, whatever the reason might be, you or him should have told us who you were. And Chris, why did you ignore us. At least answer our calls." Phoebe said calmly. Andrianne looked at her brother for answers. He was not with her all the time. He was always out. When she asked he said he was with the sisters.

"Busted." Andrianne said quietly. "Chris? Where were you?" She asked.

Chris prepared his word carefully in his head before even opening his mouth. He did not want to mess up more than he had already messed up. "I was searching." He said. He got up from the sitting position and walked lazily to the attic window. "I had to." He said quietly. "Or else I would not happen. I would soon be gone. So would she." He spoke.

"What are you talking about?" Andrianne said puzzled by her brother's cryptic language. "Chris, what's going on. What do you mean." She asked.

"I was at the oracle, gypsies, fortune tellers and whatever else I could think of." He started. His tone was down and hopeless. "I had to be conceived this month, or I don't happen. This will all soon disappear." He continued. "I could concentrate with you calling me. I just ignore it." He said to Phoebe and Paige. "I was scared, I could think of what would happen if I am not there for her. I was so scared that I forgotten why I came." Chris admitted.

"Chris, we'll find a way through it." Andrianne said quietly nearing her brother. "You just have to have faith in these things you know. You have to believe in fate and luck." She smiled. "Maybe, just maybe, you meant to happen, I meant to happen. Someday, somehow it will."

"She's right you know." Paige chipped in.

"Andrianne, I know you don't want to be away from your brother, and I have asked him about this before. And I'm asking you now. Would you want to live here with us?" Phoebe asked. Chris looked down at his little sister. He knows he never provided enough, but she was fine and she would not asked more than what he could gave her. He just nodded at her.

"No." Andrianne answered. "Not unless Chris comes too." She said quietly.

"Andrianne." Chris questioned her with his eyes. "Why?" he asked.

"I can't." Andrianne answered. "I'd rather live in the backroom with you if that is what it takes to be with you." She said desperately. "I didn't come here just to be apart from you again." Andrianne spoke stubbornly.

Phoebe just looked silently at Chris. "Okay. Fine. At least she would be comfortable. And taken care of properly." Chris gave in. Phoebe smiled the victor smile. "Only for you, young lady. Only for you." He whispered in her ears. She just smiled at him. "You know you are as stubborn as I am right?" He teased the little girl.

"I'm more you than you know. You raised me. Of course it rubs off." Andrianne quipped.

"Now that you are going to live with us, I want to give some normalcy to my children. Can you go to school?" Piper said to Andrianne. "Will you?" She asked.

Andrianne nodded unwillingly with a heavy sigh. She knows that was also what Chris wanted for her. Piper smiled. Even she knew that all Chris wants for his sister is the best he could give her. Nonetheless the time and moment never allows him to do so. "Yes. I will go." Andrianne said. "Though I have to warn you that I had an extremely strict tutor, and I don't really learn what other kids my age were learning." Andrianne said quickly.

"I thought you how to read, write and basic math. And I am not that strict." Chris protested. Andrianne stuck her tongue out at him. "Andy. Behave." He scolded. The sisters just giggled at the siblings' behavior. It certainly reminded Piper and Phoebe of their childhood.

"Not you. You are all soft on me." Andrianne replied. "Bianca and Ryan. Ryan mostly but Bianca thought me literature." She said.

"You've never been to school?" Phoebe asked suddenly. Andrianne just shook her head.

"You have no clue of how it is in the future." Chris said, the tone of his voice changed, as if he just realized where he was.

"Chris, she was just asking. What's wrong with you?" Andrianne asked gently. Chris just shook his head. "We here to change that aren't we. We're here to mend what's wrong. Maybe, just maybe the mending should start at home." Andrianne said softly at Chris. Chris just sighed.

Andrianne sat quietly on the floor as she pressed her eyes on the heels of her palms.. "Andy what's wrong?" Chris rushed to her side as he knelt down to her level. Andrianne just shook her head.

"The headache is back again. It comes and go." Andrianne said.

"Let's get some food in you and I'll fetch some aspirin." Piper held her hand out to Andrianne. As much as Andrianne want to get to know her mother, she also wanted to not know her. She wanted to be just like it was. She have no intention of hurting anyone else, but she knows she was already hurting the only person she had, her brother, her guardian, her friend. Chris.


	4. First Day

First Day

Chris stared silently up to the ceiling. His tired eyes were just too obstinate to fall asleep. "Can't sleep?" A little groggy voice said as an angelic face looked up to Chris. Andrianne moved her head and rested on Chris's chest. "What's wrong?" She asked again.

"Nothing." Chris said. "Go back to sleep. You have to wake up early for your first day tomorrow." He continued.

"Do I have to?" Andrianne asked. Chris just smiled. He was the one who thought Andrianne most of the things and the rest, she thought herself with some assistance from Bianca and Ryan. "I know more than any other ten year old kids. Besides why do I need to expose myself? I'm not going to be here long." She protested.

"Where are you planning on going?" Chris asked. She just kept quiet. "No you don't. Better tell me now before Mr. Tickle-hands wake up." Chris threatens. Andrianne just rolled her eyes. "Owh, come on, you are ten. If you don't go to school people will suspect something is wrong with this family." Chris gave up.

"Right. Because we are so normal." Andrianne uttered sarcastically.

"Alright, that's it young lady. Go to sleep." Chris said.

"Alright, 'dad'." Andrianne answered sarcastically. "By the way I didn't come here to relax, you know." She said mocking the way Chris said when she first heard him at P3 a few weeks ago.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Chris said as he gently strokes Andrianne's hair. She soon fell asleep on Chris chest, and moments later he finally finding in the land of dreams. and hope. Where all the troubles were far and all the hurt cannot harm them both.

_Chris Dream_

_It was all in the future, he was in the safe house he builds for him and Adrianne, so that after Wyatt turned evil they are safe from him. The house was just the way he left it. When he left, Andrianne was reading on her bed. Slowly he walks towards Andrianne. Andrianne is always aware of her surrounding and always alert even with the slightest noise. Slowly he sat on Andrianne's bed._

_Another Chris came in the room and this time Andrianne shifted and sat up a little straighter. Her head never once left the pages of the book. He knew she was not reading them, but just merely avoiding him._

"_You still mad at me?" the other Chris said. A rhetorical question he didn't even need a direct answer. A question he knows the answer even if she doesn't say a word. _

_He remembered this moment precisely even without this dream reminding him. This was moments before he told her he had to go to the past to change the future and the present. She didn't say anything to him. He knows she was not mad but she was more worried about him. _

"_I'll take care of myself. Don't worry. I'll be home as soon as I'm done there." He said. "You'll see me back in a flash; you wouldn't even realize that I'm gone." Chris said. Andrianne just kept quiet. _

"_Andy, you do know that I love you very much… more than anyone in this world. But sometimes you have to understand that if I decided to do something, I have reason for it." Chris said in such a way that hoping he could reassure Andrianne he was never going to let her be alone in the world._

"_You love me more than anyone?" Andrianne asked suddenly._

"_Yes." He answered sincerely._

"_More than Bianca?" Andrianne asked. "Is that why you're going to kill Wyatt? Because he unlike anyone else in this world can actually influence her love? You're never going there to turn him for the better… You never had the intention. You had always posed him as a threat to you." Andrianne finally said; her eyes rimmed with hot burning tears._

"_Yes more than Bianca. You're my sister. Nothing in the world can change that. And Wyatt is my brother. I'd be lying if I say it never crosses my mind to kill him but I'd never do that. I'd kill myself to kill him… you know that." Chris defended . He's tone is a little hurt. "Since mom died…" Chris pause mid sentence. "Since mom died, Wyatt and you are the only people I have in these world." He said._

"_Then, take me with you. Even if I don't have long, at least I'm with you." Andrianne said. "We can fight anything together. Like it or not we're stronger together. Just without the power of three, we're not as strong as mom was before. But we're still strong. Come on Chris. Let me go with you." Andrianne pleaded. "Chris, please… don't leave me… Chris…" she begged.  
End_

"Chris." Andrianne whispered as she shook him up gently. "Chris I'm going to school today. Come on. We'll be late." She said louder. Chris just groaned. "Chris, come on." Andrianne pulled his arms. playfully. Chris just giggled.

"You go with mom. I don't need to be there." Chris replied.

Andrianne just complied sadly as she walked out the door. "Fine." She said sadly. Chris sighed. He had never seen her angry before. However if she does want to get angry, she will just sulk and do whatever she's told as if she is a robot.

"Andy, I'm coming." Chris called from the room they shared together. Andrianne just sat at the breakfast table quietly. "Andy, I'm sorry. I was just kidding." He said as he sat beside her. "Want something to eat?" He asked.

"Just waiting for mom." Andrianne answered as she played with the palms. of her hand.

"Andy. You were never this needy before." Chris said trying to fish out what his little sister was feeling. Her actions, her moods even her appetite was changing. They were not as when he left her before he came to this past.

"You never left me alone before." Andrianne replied. Her eyes glassy and avoiding him. Chris stood stunned by her answer. He knows he was wrong. He knows what he did was selfish. Nonetheless he did it for the betterment of the world. The good of his family.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you. I never meant to hurt you in anyway." Chris said quietly as he busied with some bread and peanut butter.

"I don't feel like eating Chris." Andrianne said as she stood up from the kitchen stool to his side. Chris just ignored her. "Chris. Just stop." Andrianne said as she touched his busy hands. "What's bothering you?"

"You're not eating. You're shrinking and you're having these headaches. That is just to begin with. Andrianne, what is there for me not to be afraid?" Chris questioned her. His eyes glisten in hope that she would open up to him of what she had gone through when he was gone.

"The fact that I'm standing beside you and well. Also talking back and, I don't know Chris. It's just that I just don't have much appetite. That is all." Andrianne said as she helped Chris out with the sandwiches. "Fine, I'll eat these. You should stop worrying too much you know."

Chris just kept his silence. He sat beside Andrianne and ate with her. When Piper came down and saw her two grown children, she felt as if she never had existed in their life. Andrianne and Chris' relationship were more than siblings; they were like each other's protectors. "Good morning." She said as she sat her purse down on the kitchen counter.

Chris barely answered, Andrianne just smiled. Her breakfast threatening to come back out of her stomach. "I'll be right back." Andrianne said quickly before disappearing to her room. The urge for Chris to run after her was immense but he respected her request for him not to be too worried all the time.

"I think she's hiding something." Chris said suddenly as he looked up at Piper. "Something she's not telling me."

"Sounds like someone I know." Piper replied quietly.

"Piper I'm serious." Chris said sighing.

"About what?" Andrianne asked as she appeared behind Chris with her blouse straightened up and her backpack. "Piper, since when do schools have uniforms.?" Andrianne asked. "Ryan said he never wore anything else but jeans to school."

Piper just smiled. "Since you're not going to a public school." Piper answered. "You'll get used to this." She smiled.

"I feel like Hermione from Harry Potter." Andrianne giggled at her uniform. "Why do I have to go to private school? Isn't it expensive?" She asked.

"Because I want to send you there. Why the questions?" Piper said questioning her daughter.

"Just wondering." Andrianne replied. "I mean for a person who have been homeschooled all her life, of course I have question."

"She's just anxious and scared." Chris chipped in.

"And that too." Andrianne agreed smiling at Piper. Piper let out a laugh. "What if I'm not smart enough?" She asked. Piper just smiled and shook her head.

"Andy, come on here." Chris said as he patted the sit beside him. Andrianne just groaned and sat beside him. "What's sine of thirty?" he asked.

"Half." Andrianne said nonchalantly.

"Cosine of sixty?" Chris quizzed her some more.

"Half." Andrianne answered more confidently. "What's with the math question?" She asked him back.

"Never mind that. What's the capital of India?" Chris asked.

"New Delhi." Andrianne answered quickly.

"Malaysia?" Chris asked once more.

"Kuala Lumpur." Andrianne replied.

"You know more than a fourth grader, why are you so worried?" Chris said rolling his eyes. "Ryan is teaching you what he wants. And he is never teaching you the simple stuff. That guy is nuts." Chris smiled at his little sister as he straightened her tie for her. "You look pretty." He smiled as a peck landed on her forehead.

"We're going to be late." Piper said quietly. "Come on." She said as she lead them to the outside of the manor. "You're pretty close aren't you?" She said to Chris as they walked to the car. Chris just smiled a proud smile at her.


	5. Confessions

Confession

"What if I'm not smart enough?" Chris mocked his sister after her first day of school. "You are the only ten year old I know enter straight to sixth grade." He said. Andrianne threw a pillow and hit his back. "Andy." He warned.

"Sorry." Andrianne said quietly as she approaches her big brother who was busying with _demonology _and other books. "I'm sorry about my moods and tantrums. this morning." Andrianne hugged Chris from behind as she spoke.

"Andy, I want to ask you something. I want an answer. No more going around the question okay?" Chris said as he led Andrianne back to her bed and sat opposite her. "Princess, I may not be the best brother you could ever ask for." He started.

"Chris, what are you talking about?" Andrianne cut him mid sentence. "You raised me up. What more can I ask from you?" She questioned him.

"That's not what I mean." Chris replied. "Hear me out first, okay?" Andrianne just nodded a response. "When I told you I'm coming here, you asked to come with me." Chris said. Andrianne looked up to him. She was a little surprised that he brought that up again and a little sacred of the question he might ask her. "And you said at least you have some time with me even if it's not long. What do you mean by that?" Chris asked.

"I was blabbering… I was desperate." She answered; her eyes could not even look at Chris. "I just don't want to lose you." She continued.

"No, that's not it. Andy I may not know what you feel or read your mind, but I know something is going on and you're not telling me. I'm your brother, I know you better than you know yourself." Chris said trying to get her to talk.

"Chris." Andrianne whined. "I don't want to talk about this with you. Not right now. Not here." Andrianne said and shaking her head as she walked out of the room.

"Andrianne Hope Halliwell… you don't walk away while I'm talking to you." Chris raised his voice without knowing Phoebe was there as well.

"I'm not. I'm just doing what you do best." Andrianne shot back.

"Andy what is wrong with you?" Chris asked obviously upset by Andrianne's outburst. "You're the one without temper. What happened?" Chris said still trailing his sister.

"Nothing. Stop following me." Andrianne said walking faster.

"Andy stop!" Chris shouted practically screamed. Andrianne stop in her step, shocked. "What is wrong with you? Why won't you talk to me and avoiding my questions for days, this is not you Andrianne." Chris said touching Andrianne's shoulder.

"No. it's not time for you to know." Andrianne said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Tell me what?" Chris asked. "What are you hiding from me, Andy?" Chris asked his voice was soft. Andrianne was partly shocked to be shouted at by Chris, but mostly she was scared to face what will happen if she tells Chris the truth of why she came.

"I'll talk to her. Maybe, she'll open up to me." Phoebe said tapping Chris lightly on his back. Piper and Paige just froze in their places. Never had she seen Chris raised his voice or being so frustrated at anyone ever before.

"She'll never open up to anyone. She tells me everything. Everything. I know every single thing in her life. Andy please, tell me what is going on." Chris pleaded. "Princess."

"No. I'll tell when the time is right." Andrianne said.

"Give her time." Phoebe said. Chris raised his hand up like surrendering, and he backed away. "Let's talk together, peacefully. No tantrums., no temper." Phoebe said looking at Andrianne and then Chris. Chris just nodded. Andrianne just stood there frozen.

"I can't tell you now. I will when I'm ready." Andrianne said softly. "Thanks Aunt Phoebe, but I can't. I'll tell Chris once I'm ready. I'm sorry but I just can't." Andrianne said as she walks to the room that she shares with Chris.

"Be patient. She'll open up. You just need to cool down a little." Phoebe said to Chris as they watch Andrianne go to the room.

"I can't. I've been having these flashes about my past. Like it's telling something. Something only she can tell. And I can tell she's in some sort of trouble. She never gets into trouble… I just need to know." Chris proclaimed.

"Look, she loves you. She loves you more than herself. There must be an explanation to all this. There is a reason to which she won't want to tell you. The reason is that she don't want to hurt you." Phoebe said. Chris just nodded and heads out side.

"How'd you know?" Chris asked naïvely.

"I'm an empath, she's an empath and she does let her feelings show. Unlike some." Phoebe teased.

"Very funny." Chris shot back. "I'll be in P3." Chris said to Phoebe. She just nodded.

"I hurt him didn't I?" Andrianne asked as Phoebe sat down on the couch and Andrianne walked from her room to the living room.

"Yes." Phoebe answered; her voice was a mix of curiosity and feel of empathy for both the siblings.

"We never fight. Ever. He never shouted at me like that before. I never walked away from him or his question before. I know it made him mad. But I just can't bear to see him more hurt than he already is." Andrianne said as she sat on the single couch near Phoebe.

"You two are very close aren't you?" Phoebe started. Andrianne just nodded. "You want to tell me whatever the fight was about?" Phoebe asked trying her luck.

"It's about me. When he was coming here I almost made him not to." Andrianne said. Phoebe looked at her questioningly. "I have a secret that I kept from everyone. From Chris, from you, in the future that is and from grandpa." She continue.

"Elaborate. I'm bad at these hazy things" Phoebe said.

"I'd rather if I tell Chris first." Andrianne said. "I'm sorry. Phoebe, Chris is more than a brother. He's my best friend, he's my only friend, and he is my father… figure. I never met Leo, before I came to this time." Andrianne said. "I'd better look for him and say sorry, before he gets really mad at me." She continued.

"He was not angry at you." Phoebe said. "He's just frustrated, he's in P3 now. I'll send you there if you want to go."

"It's okay. I can orb." Andrianne replied. "But thank you." She smiled.

"Andrianne, are you sure everything is okay? You look scared to tell Chris whatever you are going to tell him and you don't look so good today. Is there something wrong? Are you feeling well?" Phoebe asked. Andrianne just answered her with a nod. "Andrianne it's late. Let me send you there." Phoebe said. Andrianne just shook her head and orbed away.

Chris sat on the bed pondering in the backroom of P3 when Andrianne orbed in. "I'm sorry." Andrianne said, walking up to her brother. "I'm sorry." She said again.

"What for?" Chris asked. "You didn't do anything."

"I made you angry at me." She said as she sat beside Chris.

"I wasn't angry. I was for you walking out on me, but I know you wouldn't do that for no reason. I'm sorry for pushing you too hard on everything." Chris said wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I told you, I was going to tell you when I'm ready right. Well I'll never be ready. And I can't wait any longer." Andrianne said looking up at Chris. Her eyes welled up a little.

"Don't cry, princess. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Chris said soothingly.

"I don't but I have too." She said leaning on Chris's shoulder.

"What is it?" Chris asked.

"Before you came, a few months before you came, I was sick, I still am." Andrianne started. "I'm afraid if I told you then, you wouldn't come here. But I'm afraid I wouldn't get the chance to see you again. That's the reason I came." Andrianne said. "I just want you to myself but at the same time I know what you were going to do is for the greater good."

"Sick?" Chris asked ignoring Andrianne's last sentence entirely. "How serious is this?"

"I was given a year to live. And the year ends in 2 months." Andrianne said quietly.

"Do not joke about this, Andy." Chris said.

"Am not, Chris." She answered. Chris pulled her into a hug as tears rolled down his cheek. He did not want Andrianne to see him cry. He never cried in front of anyone. Especially in front of Andrianne. "I'm sorry." She said.

"Not your fault. This is why you've been acting all weird. I should have asked earlier and I should have known." Chris rambled.

"This is the reason I don't want to tell you." Andrianne pulled away and wiped Chris's tears with her thumbs.

"Very funny." Chris smiled. "Are you still getting treatment?" Chris asked. Andrianne looked down towards her hands. "My god, Andy..." Chris said.

"It's not getting anywhere. And it hurts too much to be at the hospital alone. I forged your signature, saying I'm not going to continue with treatment." Andrianne said.

"But with proper treatment you can get better. You will. Maybe I can ask Leo to heal you or something." Chris said. Andrianne shook her head. "Andy, why?"

"Because there is a way. But I don't like it. It involves you. I'm never going to do it. I'd rather die than see you in pain." Andrianne said.

"Andy listen to me." Chris said cupping her face up, forcing her to look at him. "Give it a shot. Try, for me. Let Leo give it a shot." Chris said softly.

"Leo cannot do anything. An elder tried before." Andrianne said. "This is a mortal sickness Chris. We both know that he can't do anything."

"Tell me, what can I do. There must be a way." Chris said.

"There is." Andrianne said. "Smile. Be happy with the time we still have together." She smile.

"Very funny." Chris smiled.

"Want to know something." Andrianne said as Chris nod. "You look cute when you're worried." Andrianne teased. Chris just rolled his eyes then kissed her forehead. "Maybe, we should talk to Aunt Phoebe. She's worried." Andrianne said.

"Since when do you call her Aunt Phoebe?" Andrianne asked.

"Since I was one," Chris said. "Now she's what, five, six years tops older than I am. I can't call her Aunt Phoebe." Chris said.

They orbed home and had a long talk with Phoebe, but none about what happened or about her health. Andrianne sat beside Chris, like the fight never happened. Deep inside Phoebe knows Chris was too worried about Andrianne to think about what happened earlier.

That night, Chris watched Andrianne sleep; he felt that could be the last time he was going to see her sleep like that. Even though he could not feel what she was feeling but it hurts him just as bad. He knows what Andrianne was talking about earlier. Giving a part of him to her. Her pain must be unbearable, but she never complains. Just like her never to worry anyone else.

He moved her from the couch where she loves to read then sleep on to the bed. Softly he strokes her hair. "Why you? Why not me." Chris said quietly. His eyes welled up. He should have seen the signs that she was sick. She was throwing up some mornings but she said it was food bug or something. She eats less, almost always tired and she was quieter.


	6. School

School

The library was empty as Andrianne came and sit on the corner chair. She had no reason for picking the place, just that she like the way the sun hits the panel glass window and the light that plays in front of her. She sat her books down and began to unfold the list Mr. Smith gave her earlier that week.

A smile formed on her face. Most of the books that were on the list of required reading for that year she had read before. "Ms. Perry?" A familiar voice said. Andrianne quickly stood up and face the male teacher in front of her. Her head bowed slightly down as a sign of respect. "You don't have to stand up, dear." He said as he took a seat near her.

"Sorry sir. I didn't realize you were here." Andrianne said shyly. Mr. Smith just let out a laugh. Andrianne looked up at him questioningly.

"It's alright, Andrianne. You didn't do anything wrong to be sorry about. Though it's a little weird to see a student in a library at this time of the day." Mr. Smith said smiling at the young girl. "And the list are just suggested reading for summer. Not that you must read all of it. And usually students who enter the grade in the middle of the semester usually never ask for the summer extra credit list. You are the first I think." He said.

"I need to do a lot of catching up to do sir." Andrianne said, her voice humble and shy.

"Andrianne, if it's too much, you really don't need to read all of the books you know, just pick one or two will do." Mr. Smith said.

"I have read all these, sir, just to refresh my mind of the plots and characterization for the report." Andrianne explained.

"You like to read, Andrianne?" The teacher asked as he leaned back in to the arm chair. Andrianne just nodded in reply. "If I ask you now, can you tell me about a character you that you like the most from any of the book you have read, what will it be?"

"Does it have to be one in the list?" Andrianne asked before answering the question.

"No. Any book in the world." The teacher said.

Andrianne thought for a while and smiled at the teacher. "My favorite book is Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LeRoux. I like Christine Daae and Erik the Phantom better than the others. To answer your question, I'll pick Christine to be my favorite character." Andrianne said carefully.

"Why Christine Daae? Her beauty of her gifts?" The teacher said excitedly. He was in awe that this little girl had read a book beyond her age.

"No. Not her looks. Christine was raised by her father until he died, then she grew up in an environment of hard work and most of the things she learn were self –thought and with little coaching. Christine never once hated herself for being an orphan or blamed anyone for her bad luck. Instead she was glad to have her life. She was a very strong willed and her beauty comes from her heart rather than just her physical beauty. She saw the phantom as a human being rather than a monster that everyone thinks he is. She sees things beyond the surface." Andrianne said. The fire of passion burns in her eyes as she spoke of the character as if she was living in the book.

"Interesting." Mr. Smith smiled at his youngest student. "Maybe you could write up an essay about Phantom of the Opera and you can forget about the reading list." He suggested.

"But Phantom of the Opera is not on the reading list." Andrianne said puzzled.

"It's not on the sixth grade ones. Student's here don't read Phantom of the Opera until the tenth grade or ninth grade accelerated reader program." The teacher said. Andrianne blushed a little. "What other classics that you have read?" The teacher asked.

"I'm trying to get Jane Eyre but I couldn't find it anywhere in the library." Andrianne replied. "But I have read The Brave New World by Aldous Huxley." She smiled.

"I have never had a student as well read as you are. Maybe, we can talk to the Principal about your English placement class. My class would just bore you." Mr. Smith said a little concerned about her.

"Your class is fine sir. I just read a lot that's all." Andrianne said quickly.

"Don't be silly. With your level of English, you should be in the honors class." Mr. Smith said. "I'll talk to Principal Messner." He said as he stood up. Andrianne rose as well. "Andrianne, if you are interested, maybe you can join the readers circle on Wednesday after school until around five. I have a few kids who come together and talk about the book that they are reading. I'm sure you will be an interesting addition. But this group mostly read young adult fictions and fantasy fictions."

"Sure." Andrianne's face instantly lit up in excitement. "What are most of them reading now?" She asked.

"Harry Potter." Mr. Smith said before he bid goodbye to Andrianne and the bell rang. Andrianne rushed to the library checkout counter and took two of the book in the reading list with her.

Andrianne took her usual seat at the front corner of the class as she prepared herself for the math class. Ms. Bennington came in with her usual delighted mood. "Homework please." She said as she came in the class. She quickly skimmed the class as she took the homework paper from the student's tables. "Good. Today, we're going to have a pop quiz."

The class groaned in unison. Ms. Bennington let out a laugh. Andrianne giggled at the reaction of the class. "It's going to be a toughie today. I have three sets. Easy, intermediate and hard. Your marks will be according to the level of hardness and how well you do the question. Each set has 15 different questions, so you cannot copy your friends." She said as she laid the papers on her table. One by one the class went and takes the paper. The easy and intermediate stacks were disappearing fast. Andrianne stood up and looked at the questions before she takes one of them.

"Andy, let's take the hard ones. The question can't be that tough." Riley said smiling at Andrianne. Andrianne nodded.

"Well, well, Mr. Ritter and Ms. Perry. Are you sure?" Ms. Bennington smiled as the only two students of her who took her challenge for the hard question pop quiz. "Go ahead." She smiled at them.

Andrianne sat down and do the questions quickly. It was not that hard, nothing that she have not seen before, just that it was a little tricky. A few students sighed and groaned while doing. Riley and Andrianne smiled at each other.

"Okay, whoever is done can hand up and get ready for your next class." Ms. Bennington said after around 25 minutes later. Andrianne once again went through the arithmetic in her head and when she was satisfied, she handed the papers in. So did Riley.

"Andrianne, wait up." Riley called as she stepped out of the class room.

"It's Andy." Andrianne said as she stopped and waited for the older boy to catch up with her. Riley just smiled.

"Sounds like a boy. Andrianne sounds better." Riley said as they walked together to Andrianne's locker. "What class do you have after this?" He asked.

"Mr. Smith's English two." Andrianne said as she unfolds her timetable. "I still can't remember my class schedules." She said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, Mr. Smith said you might be joining us for the readers circle on Wednesday. I'm the only sixth grader though. Most of them are Upper Classmen. I'm the only one; well if you're joining we're the only Lower Classmen there." Riley said.

"Really? How come?" Andrianne asked. She opened her locker and traded her math books for her English books.

"I don't know. But James said you're awfully advance in terms of reading." Riley added.

"Are you guys close?" Andrianne asked suddenly.

"He's my foster father, yeah, we're kind of close." Riley said casually. "Why?"

"You talk to him, just wondering. And you talk about him like you know him well. I mean most students would call their teachers by the surname." Andrianne replied.

"Oh. So Andrianne, what do you plan to read before going to the circle?" Riley asked curiously.

"What are you reading?" Andrianne asked him back. Riley just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure yet. Mr. Smith said many were reading Harry Potter. I was thinking of Jane Eyre. I don't know." Andrianne said.

"I'm still reading Harry Potter, it's so thick, I'm not sure if I can finish half of it this week." Riley said with an embarrassed tone.

"Harry Potter it is then." Andrianne smiled. "My class is here." She said stopping in front of a class room. Riley just nod and smiled at her before going his own way. Mr. Smith caught the look on his son's face and smiled at him as Riley blushed.

Whispers and looks were thrown at Andrianne's direction. Andrianne just took a seat at an empty chair near the teacher's table. She was puzzled by the looks and sneering she got from the student in the class. Andrianne really had no idea what she had done or say to hurt or harm anyone.

"Alright class. Settle down. As you know we have a new addition in our class, she had been introduced in our last class. Today we are going to resume our class as usual. Before the last class I had given you and assignment to read the poem by Robert Frost called Road Not Taken right?" Mr. Smith said as the class commenced. "Who would like to read the poem?" He asked.

The class fell silent. Pin drop silent. Not even the sound of a breath. Mr. Smith smiled as he shook his head. "Have any of you even read it?" He asked again. A mixed murmured answers of 'yeses' and 'nos' were heard but nothing clear enough to point to anyone.

"Why don't we let the new girl read it?" A blonde girl who sat three seats away from Andrianne suggested.

"Ms. Henry. How nice of you to offer yourself." Mr. Smith smirked. "Go on Justine. It's just a poem, it would not kill you." He said as he waited for the girl to raise from her seat and read. Justine tossed her hair, irritated by Mr. Smith's request.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," Justine started. One line by one line she read. Waiting for the teacher to stop her. Until she reached the end of the poem, she sighed and put down her book.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Mr Smith said. "Now who would like to talk about the poem?" he asked. Again no one responded. But this time the class was filled with whispers and talking. Andrianne raised her hand slowly. "Just speak up, Andrianne. No one raise their hands to answer in this class." Mr Smith smiled.

"Sorry." Andrianne smiled. "It's about life's choice. One of the usual sort and one is the less chosen. The poet chose the path that many would not as a challenge to himself so that one day he could tell the world about this adventure. Even though both choices are equally risky and equally easy to make, he takes the one that other might not. Just to experiment with it. And it makes all the difference in his life." Andrianne said explaining the poem.

"Have you read this one before?" Mr Smith asked. Andrianne shook her head.

"That was the first time I heard this poem." Andrianne answered.

"Okay. Exactly. It's about choices. Some would say life choices some would say about anything else." Mr. Smith flashed a smile at Andrianne. As he kept talking and elaborating about the poem, Andrianne took note. She is beginning to like this class. The material are simple enough, but interesting to her.

The final bell rang for the week, telling the student that the weekend has arrive. Giddily every one snap their books shut and ran for the door. "Andrianne, wait." Mr Smith called before she reached the door.

"Yes, sir?" Andrianne said as she faced the older teacher.

"I have talked to Principal Messner, and he said he is willing to let you into the seventh grade honors Literature class. The poem just now, are you sure you have never read it before?" Mr Smith said as he gathered his things.

"No, sir. I just got all my required text today sir." Andrianne replied as she walked alongside the teacher. Mr. Smith just nodded. "Is that all sir?" She asked.

"Yes. And I think it's a good idea for you to trade your book for the seventh grade required reading." Mr Smith said with a smile. Andrianne smiled back as she walked towards the bus stop, where Piper always picked her up.

"Hey, Andrianne." Julia, Justine's twin sister approached Andrianne. Julia is a the nicer twin compared to her twin sister. "Heard that you were invited to the reader's circle." She said, eager to know more. Andrianne just nodded. "How cool. Mr. Smith and his son are the conductor of the group and the people invited are mostly the coolest people in school, you know." She said excitedly. Justine who was listening sneered. "Ignore my sister. She's just jealous. We've been trying to get into the circle for years." Julia said.

"I thought the reader's circle are a group of people who likes to read and just talk about the book they are reading. At least that was what Mr. Smith told me." Andrianne said, her tone expressed her cluelessness of the school and the world evolving around the school.

"It is sort of a book club. But by invitation only. Mr. Smith reserve places only for the school best and school jocks so that they don't fall behind on their reading. And both his sons are in the book club. And it's very rare for them to extend the invitations to girls. Especially Lower Classmen." Julia explained.

"Oh, no. Mr. Smith were the one who asked if I wanted to join. I don't know his sons." Andrianne replied. "I mean I only know Riley Ritter from my math class who is also in many of my other classes and Nadim Sultan. And a few from my English class."

"Riley is his son." Julia said. As if the conversation with Riley earlier did not happened, Andrianne only remembered then that he had mentioned that Mr. Smith is his foster father. "Riley have an elder brother, Ryder. Who is a an Upper Class junior and a quarterback, ad not to mention his perfect four point oh, grade point average. No one in this school have ever beaten him in any subjects."

Andrianne just giggled at the enthusiasm Julia have when she was talking about Ryder. "He's just a boy, Julia. Maybe I can ask him if I can bring my friends along with me for the circle. We're reading Harry Potter."

"Cool, I am too." Julia said excitedly. "But which one?" She asked. Andrianne shrugged her shoulders. "Never mind I have read all of them to date." Julia said.

"Nerds." Justine snickered at them. Julia rolled her eyes. "Come on Jules, moms' here." She said pulling her sister away from Andrianne as a white Mercedes pulled up in front of them. Julia waved good bye at Andrianne and she did the same.


	7. Shopping w Paige

Shopping with Aunt Paige

Chris had no idea of why Paige loves shopping so much. She said it is a sin to wear the exact same outfit twice. Especially in the same week or even month. At least wearing the same jeans with a different top is acceptable but never the same top with the same bottom. "It's fine if out don't want to go. I'll just take your sister along with me. It's a Saturday and she deserves to have some fun." Paige said to Chris. Andrianne who was there giggled at Chris' reaction.

"Are you sure you can handle her?" Chris sad questioningly at Paige. Paige just nodded. "You did not plan this did you?" He asked worriedly at Andrianne.

"Chris." Andrianne said facing him and both hands on his shoulders. "All the while you knew me tell me one day I plan for a shopping trip." Andrianne said. Chris shook his head. "Relax, I'll be no trouble to Aunt Paige, and I'll behave myself." She promised her brother.

"I'm looking for a dress. She'll be helping me out. At least I don't have to go alone." Paige smiled. Chris sighed. "She will be fine." Paige said.

"Fine, fine, fine. Behave yourself and please don't spoil her with anything." Chris said to Andrianne then to Paige. Andrianne smiled and hugged Chris happily. Andrianne know how hard it was for him to let her out without him along.

Andrianne sat in the shotgun seat beside Paige as she drove them to the mall. Like any first Saturday of the month, the mall is jam packed with people. "Tell me if you are tired okay?" Paige said as they got out of the car. Andrianne just replied with a simple nod. She had always loved shopping trip with her aunt. She always gets whatever she wanted especially books and clothes. Paige has always been the fun aunt and Phoebe is more of the responsible one after Piper was gone.

"Aunt Paige, after you've gotten your dress, do you think we can go to the book store?" Andrianne asked.

"Sure." Paige replied. "What are you looking for?"

"I was invited to a reading circle, and they are reading Harry Potter. It's not compulsory, but I want to join them." Andrianne said.

"Reading club?" Paige said making faces. "Eugh." She teased Andrianne.

"They said it's the IT reading club with hot boys and jocks." Andrianne said softly back.

"Now you're talking." Paige said and Andrianne just laughed. "Really? Reading club with hot guys? Why wasn't there one in my school?" Andrianne just shrugged. She enjoyed the rest of the day with her aunt. They chatted and shopped together.

"Do we do this often in the future?" Page asked as they walked to the bookstore. Andrianne just smiled and shakes her head. "Come on, Chris have issues. You can tell me some things can't you?" Paige questioned. Andrianne let out a laugh.

"Nope." Andrianne replied. "Chris don't have issues. At least not with you." She said quietly. "He's just scared, of what is going to happen in the future when it's changed and to what we both will be going back to. Memories aren't that easy to erase." Andrianne said looking up to Paige.

"Andy, I don't know what you and your brother had gone through. Oh, I wish I'd know." Paige said as she wrapped her arm around the little girl's shoulders. "You do realize you're quite thin right?" She asked. Andrianne just nodded.

Paige let Andrianne to wonder around the book store and pick out any books she would want, as she browses through the leisure section. Andrianne looked through the fiction section then she moved on to the young adult section and took two Harry Potters and then to her favourite section, literature. She stood two feet from the shelve to browse through the titles on the top shelves. She sighed as she spotted the book she wanted.

"Sir, can you help me reach that please?" Andrianne said to a man who passed her by. The man turned around and nodded. To her surprise, he looks oddly familiar. "Dr. Smith." She said quietly to herself.

"Here you go." He smiled. "Aren't these a little advance for you?" The man asked. Andrianne just smiled. The man looked exactly like her oncologist only younger. Much younger. "I'm Ryder Smith." He said holding his hand out for her to shake.

"Andrianne Perry." Andrianne replied as she shook his hand.

"The in famous accelerated reader. You're in the same class with my brother I think." Ryder said smiling. Andrianne just blushed. "Riley." He called to the boy in the other isle. "Look who I found." He said.

"Andy. Hey." Riley said nearing his foster brother.

"See these are the books you should read. Not those freaky vampire stories you love so much." Ryder said ruffling his brother's hair.

"No wonder dad asked her to join our circle." Riley said as he pushed his brother's hand away from his head. Ryder laughed at him as he fixed his hair in the reflective carved glass panel that acts as a divider between sections.

"About the circle, can I bring a friend who is interested too?" Andrianne asked between her giggles.

"Sure. The more the merrier." Ryder said smiling. "These kids are reading Harry Potter. I'm conducting the circle who reads more classical ones. My father, he's the one conducting the kids." He made a face to Riley as he explains. "This little one is still reading his Harry Potter." He teased.

"I'm just starting, myself." Andrianne admitted. "What book are you reading for the classical ones?" Andrianne asked.

"I don't think kids would be interested in my circle. We're reading Phantom of the Opera, and we're going to Jane Eyre next." Ryder said. Andrianne's face lit up like a thousand watts bulb when she hears they were reading Phantom of the Opera.

"I've read Phantom of the Opera. I love the book." Andrianne said. "But I could not find Jane Eyre anywhere in the library." She said.

Riley sighed an annoyed 'thank you' at Ryder. "I was thinking of you're coming into my circle." Riley said slightly disappointed.

"Why not you read Jane Eyre and come into mine?" Ryder said to him.

"I'm not reading a dead writer. Not just yet." Riley replied.

"Here." Ryder said handing Andrianne a copy of Jane Eyre and smiled. "How I wish my little brother is more like you." He sighed loudly.

"Your brother is a boy. I'm a girl." Andrianne stated the obvious. Ryder and Riley both burst into laughter.

"Good point." Ryder nodded. "Okay, let me guess, you grew up in a house full of boys?" He asked. Andrianne just nodded. They chatted while walking to the counter as Andrianne introduces them to her Aunt Paige.

"So those are the boys in your reading club." Paige started as she started her car engine. Andrianne nodded.

"Aunt Paige not again. He'll never be my boyfriend. He's old." Andrianne whined.

"He's two years older than you." Paige replied.

"Not in my time." Andrianne said shaking her head. "I know one of them in the future." Andrianne said quietly. Paige's face glowed with curiosity. "What?" Andrianne asked.

"Fate. It's fate. You know him in the future and you see him in the past. That's what we call fate." Paige said. Andrianne just laughed at her and shook her head.

"Thank you for the books Aunt Paige." Andrianne said. The drove home was full of teasing and laughter. They both had so much fun being with each other with nothing much o care about except for themselves. "Chris must be worried sick, right now." Andrianne said quietly as they pulled over in front of the manor.

As they went in, smell of lavender and honey stung their noses. Andrianne smiled. Piper must have been brewing some potion or Chris have brought home some lavender and cooked her favourite pancake.

"Chris?" Paige called. No one answered. "Piper?" She called again.

"In the kitchen." Piper said. Both of them darted into the kitchen. "Chris cooked before he went out." Piper said.

"Piper, is that lavender?" Andrianne asked. Piper just nodded. "What is it for?" She asked.

"I like the smell. So I bought some." Piper said.

"So do we." Andrianne smiled at Piper. "Wyatt, Chris and I." She explained.

"so you two had fun today?" Piper asked.

"Loads." Paige said as she took out her new yellow dress and showed it to Piper. "She helped me pick." Paige said giddily.

"And you young lady, what did you buy?" Piper asked.

"Books." Andrianne said. "And that reminds me, I have tonnes of homework to do. So I better get started." She said as she took her bag of books and turned away from her mother and aunt.

"Don't you want to eat first?" Paige asked.

"I want to change first and then I'll eat." Andrianne replied. "My mother thought me that when I was little." She smiled.

"Alright then, smart-alec, go change and we'll eat together." Piper said shooing her daughter away. Andrianne smiled and turned into her room. Quickly she changed and went right back downstairs to eat with her mother and Paige.


	8. Sickness

Sickness

The week passed by like the breeze. Andrianne is out of tricks and excuses to avoid telling Chris of her sickness. Chris felt the need for him to protect her now more than ever but what from? He has no clue of what to do. He had no clue of what to happen. He laid his head on the bed as he watched Andrianne's frail body curl up on the sofa reading her book.

"What are you looking at big brother?" Andrianne voice startled him out of his silent reverie. Chris just shook his head. "Chris, what's wrong?" Andrianne asked her voice soft and smooth. She marked her book and went to lie beside her brother.

"Nothing is wrong." Chris said. He genuinely wants to believe what he said. He really wants to live in the world where everything is in its place. A world that his family is together. Gently he caressed her hair and he kissed her goodnight. Gradually his lids get heavier and heavier as the seconds past. The effort for him to stay awake was no longer available. Soon, he fell asleep beside his little sister. His arms protecting her from whatever he could.

Piper opened the door carefully as not to make any sound. She pulled the blanket up as to cover her children's body. Chris must have been very tired to not realize she was in the room. She kissed the pad of her forefinger and middle finger then she touched it on Andrianne's forehead then Chris. "Good night, my children." She whispered as she rose and walked out of the room.

Not moments later shock of pain washed every inch of Andrianne's body. The agonizing pain jolts her up. Her sudden movement woke Chris up as well. Every breath she took was excruciating. She felt Chris beside her asking her something. She could not make out what he was saying. She was gasping for air. "Hurts…" Andrianne manage to escape the word out of her mouth. Beads of sweat drenched her clothes.

Andrianne realized she must have been making a lot of noise or Chris has, she was not very sure, Piper, Phoebe and Paige came rushing into the room. She grabbed Chris' hand with one hand and clenching the sheets with her other hand and tears streamed down her face. She was in too much pain. Her brain could not process thought or words anymore as they came in slurred noises. Her vision blurred then turned hazy before she blacked out totally.

*******

Andrianne forced open her eyes as the sterile smell stung her nose. A warm hand clasped tight her right hand. A familiar feeling, a familiar smell. Chris. "Hey." She managed, barely a whisper. Her pupil adjusted itself to the light as her lids were forced open. Her head was still spinning a little and her body felt weak.

"Hey, princess." Chris said barely a whisper. Dark circle under his eyes indicates he had not been away from her for more than a minute. His stubble chin was unshaven, his hair was in a mess, he smelt of iron and salt.

"How'd I got here?" Andrianne questioned.

"Doesn't matter." Chris answered.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." Andrianne replied her voice was still hoarse and rough.

"You don't have to look out for me. That's my job to look out for you." Chris said. Piper came and sat on the bed near Andrianne's foot.

"You should have told us. Both of you." Piper said with a sad tone hinted in her voice.

"I don't want you to worry, Piper. I hate to be a burden to anyone. But I'm sorry." Andrianne said quietly as she looked at Piper then at Chris.

"Well, stop apologizing. There's nothing to be sorry about. In the future if I'm supposed to be your mother I am going to get worried too right?" Piper said. Andrianne looked at Chris; Chris just stared at Andrianne's hand. Andrianne nodded weakly. Chris' grip on her hand felt tighter. His eyes burn with the hot tears threatening to mess his hard facade.

"How long was I out?" Andrianne questioned.

"Two days." Piper replied as she reached for Andrianne's other arm. Andrianne's hand felt cold against hers.

"Did the doctor say what was wrong with me?" Andrianne asked Chris. He shook his head then he looked at Piper. "Chris, I know I have cancer." Andrianne spoke softly to her brother. "Chris, you do know that you look worse than me right now?" she teased. Chris just smiled. "Hey, come on, you promised, not to look sad." Andrianne smiled.

"I'm your big brother remember, it's my job to be worried." Chris said. Andrianne stuck her tongue out. "I'm serious. I'm supposed to look out for you not the other way." Chris said smiling a little.

"See, that's not that hard." Andrianne said. "Mom, you too. Don't bother about Chris; someday his face will freeze like that." Andrianne joked. "I can call you mom, right? Piper?" Andrianne asked. Her voice was still a little worn out but she was trying to show then she was fine.

"Sure, you can call me mom. Since apparently, both my sons call me Piper." Piper said.

"Whatever." Chris said. "I'll be out for a while, okay. I'll be back." He said kissing Andrianne's forehead. "You better rest up okay." Andrianne just replied with a small nod.

"Why does hate me so much?" Piper asked as soon as Chris was out the door.

"He doesn't. He just has too much on his mind." Andrianne said. "I know he seems a little weird and stubborn, but really he is a really great brother. If he could he would tell you everything. He would do everything right but the thing is he couldn't. It's not that he doesn't want to but he could not tell everything without altering the future too much." Andrianne explain.

"You two seem very close with each other." Piper commented.

"We are." Andrianne agreed. He raised her up on his own. There are no reasons for them not to be close to each other. Only that Piper cannot know about that. "Mom, I love you." She said.

"I love you too, princess." Piper said hugging her future daughter.

"Promise me that you'll make sure Chris make things better even if I'm gone." Andrianne said as warm water trickled down her cheek.

"You're going to get better; we'll try to make you better." Piper said, as she wiped Andrianne's tear with her thumb.

"I have cancer, mom. No one can cure cancer." Andrianne reasoned. "It's hard enough for Chris with Wyatt and stuff, now me. I shouldn't have come but I just want to see him. I'm so selfish." She said blaming herself of what happened.

"No you're not. You're his sister; you have the right to be with him." Piper begs to differ. "Chris loves you so much. He could have gone crazy if he found you sick and dying when he return to the future. At least now you're giving him a longer time." Piper said.

"He didn't know did he?" Andrianne asked Piper. Piper just shook her head. "Mom, I can't do chemo anymore. It hurts so much. But I know Chris would want me to go through with it, I don't know, mom. What should I do? What should I do?" She asked as tears streamed down her face. "I'm scared mom."

Piper embraced her little daughter as she caressed her hair gently. "It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine." Piper whispered softly in Andrianne's ear. "We're going to get through this together okay." Piper said as she pulled away from Adrianne. Andrianne wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she nodded.

Chris entered the room with the same sad solemn face he left. His voice was almost unheard of that day. "Did you break or burn any hospital properties yet?" Andrianne joked. Chris forced a smile on his face. "Chris, please don't be sad." Andrianne begged. "Chris, you're scaring me. Say something please."

"Never scare me like that again." Chris voice cracked as he spoke.

"God, Chris, I never meant to. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Andrianne said over and over as she leaned forward and embraced her brother tightly.

"Andy, promise me you will never leave me. I have no one else other than you. Please don't leave me." Chris whispered between sobs as he held his little sister close to him. His body trembled as she pulled away from him. With the pad of her thumb, Andrianne wiped her brother's tears.

"Don't cry." Andrianne said softly. "I can't promise you things I know I can never keep. But I promise you that if we can change things now, our future will be different."

A knock on the door startled the three of them. Piper wiped her tears quickly before the visitors came in. Chris stood up beside Andrianne's bed. Three men dressed, two of which was still in school's attire walked in.

"Sir." Andrianne greeted the oldest man. Mr Smith just smiled.

"How you feeling?" Riley asked.

"Tired." Andrianne answered one word.

"You've been sleeping for two days and you're still tired?" Riley teased. Andrianne just smiled back at him.

"Andy, we've heard. I'm sorry." Ryder said as he cupped his little brother's mouth before any other words escape from it.

Andrianne just gave him a quick nod. "Oh, Ryder, Riley, this is my brother Chris, and my guardian, Piper. And that's their father Mr Smith, he's my English teacher." Andrianne said.

"James." Mr. Smith said correcting Andrianne.

"Sorry. I guess I missed my second meet for the circle. I'm sorry." Adrianne apologized.

"Hey, I don't mind." Ryder said smiling. "One less brat for me to think of. Not that I have not enough trouble with one." He said nudging his brother. "Just that someone misses you and he began to read classics." Andrianne and Riley blushed shyly as Riley hit his brother's hand with full might. Ryder just laughed at him.

"I will be joining you when I am better. I'm past half way through the book now." Andrianne spoke. Chris stared at Ryder like he had seen a ghost form his past. The resemblance he has to Ryan is unbelievable.

As Ryder continued to tease Riley with Andrianne every time he had a chance to, Chris and James talked about Andrianne. Piper sat beside Andrianne as they talked together. Andrianne have a feeling that this time her treatment is not going to waste and the pain she will undergo is not for nothing anymore.


	9. Reader's Circle

Reader's Circle

Like any other Wednesday, the last bell of the last class is the best time of Andrianne's day. School was over, which means for her it was time for her to spend the time talking about her most favorite thing in the world. Books. Since the first meet, she had been taking Julia with her. Julia, like many other people read just for the sake of show. For the sake to be accepted in the group.

"Andrianne, I don't think I can keep up with the circle anymore." Julia said quietly to Andrianne as Andrianne headed for her locker. "I thought you could just fool these people by reading the summary out of the net. But I couldn't. I don't know how you do it."

"Julia, I read the books. Come on, you said it yourself the circle is fun. Plus we are the only few Lower Classmen there." Andrianne said trying to get her to the circle. Julia just shrugged her shoulders. "Please don't tell me you were interested to be in the group because of Riley."

Julia hesitated a little. Andrianne just sighed heavily. She really did thought Julia wanted to go with her for her passion for reading. "Rianne, I sorry to use you like that but that was the only way." Julia said.

"Don't call me that. And I should have known." Andrianne said disappointedly. "Julia, if you wanted to know him so much, why didn't you just go and talk to him. He's not a bad guy." Andrianne asked.

"Because I'm embarrassed. I don't want to be the girl who asks the guys." Julia reasoned. Andrianne just shook her head. "Andrianne?"

"Okay, I'll just go alone today. I'll tell them." Andrianne sighed. Julia thanked her and walked her separate way. Andrianne walked quickly to join Ryder and the classical circle in the school lawn which overlooks the ocean. "Sorry I'm a little late." Andrianne apologized as she sat opposite Ryder.

"It's okay Andrianne. We were just starting anyway." Ryder smiled at her. "As I was saying, I know some of you have finished reading the book and some of us have not, and that includes me. I also know for some of us are already preparing for our SAT. So I'm giving you all a chance to choose if you want to do another book or just read the required reading for your respective classes and we can talk about the books, next week." Ryder said.

Andrianne felt out f place as the group talked to each other about the decision they wanted to make. She was the only sixth grader in the circle and she had no clue what so ever about SAT. "Ryder, I don't think it's fair for lower graders who are following this group." Sean, a member of the group said. "How about who ever still interested to come and discuss can do so and to the ones thinks it's too time consuming can just not come." He suggested.

"That way, none of you would come, right?" Ryder said smirking at Sean. "This group is build so that we can expand our thoughts in the literary world." Ryder started.

"Ryder, we're here by will. No one forced us. Okay maybe some of us but mostly we came on our own will." Sean said before Ryder started to preach about the importance of literature. Andrianne just giggled at the boy.

"Okay, so what book next?" Ryder asked.

"You have covered almost all required reading till first year of college." Jeremy replied. "Why don't we let the little kid choose? At least she won't give us the killer books like you gave us." He continued.

"She actually read worse books than I gave you." Ryder smiled. "Give you best shot Andy. Make me proud." Ryder said between chuckles.

"I don't know." Andrianne said shyly. "Well, I don't know what you have read before I came." Andrianne reasoned.

"Lord of the Rings, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Persuasion." Jeremy said in one breath. Andrianne tittered as she thinks hard for a book to match the list.

"She has read Kerouac and Rand." Ryder teased the group. The group groaned.

"I'm halfway through with Rand, and it's boring." Andrianne replied as the group broke into a laughing fit. "How about Catcher in the Rye or Lord of the Dance." Andrianne suggested.

"Catcher in the Rye." The group said quickly in unison.

"My dad bore them to death with Lord of the Dance." Ryder said as Andrianne recovered from the shock of the unanimousity of the group. "Alright then." Ryder said and they continued with their discussion of the book Jane Eyre. Andrianne had been a little quieter that day rather than her usual ideas and chirpiness while discussing a book.

"You feel okay?" Sean said as the tidied up back the lawn before leaving. Andrianne just nodded. "I heard that you're sick. Is it true?" He asked some more. Andrianne just sighed; she is not a big fan of self pity and being pitied at. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"I have cancer. Please just keep this to yourself. I don't want people to fuss over me." Andrianne said. Sean just nodded in awe. "And don't give me that terrified look." Andrianne rolled her eyes.

"Dy, your aunt's here." Riley called her from the bus stop. Andrianne just give him a quick nod.

"See you, next week?" Andrianne said before leaving the stunned young gentleman before her. Sean just nodded. "Terrified look." Andrianne said before going towards Paige's car.

"Hey, come for the game Friday night. We're all going to be there." Ryder called before Andrianne got into the car. Andrianne just shrugged a maybe to him. "Nadim's going to be there." He said as Andrianne slammed the car door shut and turned crimson in embarrassment.

"A boy?" Paige asked slyly. Andrianne covered her face with her hands and she felt her face gets hotter. "Is he hot?" Paige fished for more information.

"Aunt Paige. Don't listen to that guy. He's just kidding." Andrianne whined. "And Nadim's twelve, and yes he's a junior football player. But no he is not hot."

"So, he's smoking hot." Paige teased her niece slightly. "Okay okay, I'll stop teasing you." Paige said as Andrianne sat quietly beside her.

"It's not that." Andrianne said quietly. "I have a feeling for the guy. I don't know Riley said it's a crush." Andrianne admitted. Paige's face lit up. Andrianne sighed. She knew she should not have opened her mouth to her Aunt Paige. "I'm serious, Aunt Paige."

"Are you sure you're not my kid?" Paige asked in a 'very' serious tone. Then she chuckled at Andrianne's disappointed expression. "Okay, it's normal for kids your age to have a crush on a boy. He's not that old compared to your age now." Paige said.

"But I'm going to hurt them later. My days are counted; I mean I should not have led him on." Andrianne said sadly.

"Firstly, you are going to get better with treatment. Secondly, enjoy life while you can. You can't be like Chris." Paige said. Andrianne just giggled at her aunt. She knows what Paige was implying and she knows that Paige only wants her to live her life to the fullest while she can.

"You think I should go for the game Friday night?" Adrianne asked. "He asked me to go out with him tomorrow; I haven't given an answer yet."

"Why not?" Paige asked. "Chris?" Andrianne nodded. "I'll sort him out. You call the boy and tell him you're going out with him tomorrow. And to the game Friday." Paige said as she pulled out her cell phone and gave them to Andrianne.

"I don't have his number." Andrianne replied as she took the phone in her hands. Paige sighed. "I'll just tell him tomorrow at school." Andrianne said faking a smile on her face. Do you think I should tell Chris?" Andrianne asked.

"He's your brother. You should know him better. Should you tell him you think?" Paige asked her back. Andrianne just shrugged her shoulders. "You never had a boyfriend before have you?" Paige smiled at her. Andrianne just shook her head. "You two have no secrets with each other. Why start now?"

Andrianne just nodded. Paige just could not help herself from asking more about the little boy who made her niece fell in love with him. Andrianne blushes as she spoke about the boy. He is just like any other boy, nothing fancy about him but somehow, he made her heart skip a beat every time she sees his face. He made her do silly things in his presences, and he also encourages her to do what she thought she could never do before.

"I seriously thought you'd be head over heels over that Ritter boy." Phoebe said as she sat opposite Andrianne at the dinner table. It was better than eating alone every night. "Paige told me that the Sultan boy asked you out."

Andrianne blushed as she looked down on the takeout food. She still could remember every night while she was at Phoebe's and Coop's she would have take-outs. Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, you name it, she had tried it all.

"Do you know that in Arabic, Sultan means a leader?" Phoebe smiled as she ate her noodles.

"It's just a friendly treat after school Aunt Phoebe." Andrianne said slightly embarrassed.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you now, and you have to eat or your brother is going to dismember me when he gets back." Phoebe said a little more seriously. Andrianne just obeyed and took a bite of the noodles. "Do I ever cook in the future?" Phoebe asked. Andrianne just shook her head. "Oh come on, it's just a little detail. Not like it can change the future." Phoebe grunted.

"I mean no. not that I don't want to tell. No, you don't cook." Andrianne said swallowing the noodles in her mouth before answering. Phoebe just nodded.

"Do you have cousins?" Phoebe asked another question.

"Nice try Aunt Phoebe." Andrianne smiled. "But I have nothing to wear to go out tomorrow." Andrianne said changing the subject.

Phoebe flashed Andrianne a sly grin as she continued eating. "That I can handle." Phoebe said cheekily. With that note the quickly finish their dinner and Andrianne took her medication before phoebe dragged her into the attic where all her older clothes were at. They tried a few tops and bottoms and finally landed on Phoebe's old but unworn little knee length lavender dress.


	10. The date

The Date

School was abnormally interesting for Andrianne that day. Riley and his brother had ganged up against her and Nadim and tease them relentlessly at that morning's assembly. Then in math class and also when she was waiting for her brother to pick her up. By the time she reached home, Andrianne's face was still a slight blush of scarlet.

In the car ride home, Chris was unusually quiet. Andrianne need not to ask him why. "Chris, I'm sorry I told Aunt Paige first about Nadim." Andrianne said quietly as she looked at her brother's straight face.

"It's not about that Andy. I'm happy you are close to them." Chris forced a little smile on his face. Andrianne just stared down at her hands not knowing what else to say to her brother. "It's not about that. Honest." Chris said as he glanced at his little sister.

"Than what is it?" Andrianne asked. Her tone was concerned yet there was a little poignant tone was mixed in it. "Is it me?" Andrianne asked.

"No, Andy. It's not you. It's me. I'm scared to lose you. I'm scared that whatever we are doing now will change the future in terms we could not think of. What if I changed it too much by coming here itself?" Chris said.

"Chris, you are not that complicated to read, you know." Andrianne said softly. "I know it's not about that." She said.

"You're growing up and I feel that you do not need me anymore. I feel that, I don't know. It's like when you are little I am sure I can protect you against anything. Now you are all grown up and independent." Chris said stopping in his words, hoping that he have not said too much or too hurtful to Andrianne.

"You will always be my big brother and you will always be my protector. No one in the world can change that. Oh, god Chris, you're so silly. I'm going to be your little sister forever even if when I am 70."Andrianne said smiling at her brother.

"So you're really going on a date tonight?" Chris asked his little sister.

"It's in an hour. Yes and I won't be out too late. Tomorrow's a school day remember."Andrianne smiled.

"Since when does my sister become so responsible?" Chris said as he ruffled his little sister's hair. "I want the one who cries at night for missing her big brother." Chris said as he opened the door and got out of the car.

"Well, people grow up. And they stop crying over their brothers who left and make do with anything they can. But I will always share my bed with you." Andrianne said as she wrapped her arms around her big brother. Chris just laughed at her notion.

"Can I stalk you on your date?" Chris smiled down at Andrianne and a quick playful punch landed on his stomach. "Okay, you are definitely getting stronger. What did Ryan feed you when I was gone?" He teased.

"Potato, potato, potato and more potato." Andrianne said as she stuck her tongue out at Chris. "You can stalk me if you want to; I mean it'll not be more than just a friend and friend meet." Andrianne giggled. "You really want to stalk us?"

"No. Not unless I want to sleep in peace tonight." Chris said as they entered their room. "And I guess the kids that go to your school can be trusted." He smiled as he sat on the bed with his eyes closed. "You really should consider changing in the bathroom you know." Chris said.

"I'm in the closet Chris. You can open your eyes." Andrianne replied. Her voice was a little distant and muffled. "So what'd you think?" She said as she came out with the lavender dress. Chris was awe stroked. "Is it that bad?" Andrianne asked.

"You're very pretty, Andrianne." Chris said softly. Andrianne neared her brother. "You're my pretty little sister." Chris said as she sat down beside him. Gently he tucked her hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead. "Get me a brush." Chris asked as Andrianne hand him the brush and turn to face opposite him. Chris brushed her hair gently and tied her hair up with a white ribbon she always used to tie her hair up.

"One day you're going to miss brushing my hair." Andrianne said quietly. Chris smiled at his sister gently knowing what her words meant.

"Andrianne you friend's here." Piper called from the foyer. Her voice shocked the two siblings from their trance. "Andrianne." Piper called again when she did not hear any reply from her future daughter.

"Coming." Andrianne called back. "Just a sec." Andrianne quickly walked towards the front door where Nadim was. "Hi." She greeted him nervously. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Andrianne apologized as she waved good bye to both her mother and elder brother.

"You look pretty." Nadim commented as they walked slowly down the street.

"Well. Thank you." Andrianne smile, blushing a little on her cheek. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"At first I thought of taking you to my uncle's restaurant. But I think it'll be better if we could catch the sunset in the park then, I send you home. We can get some ice cream on our way there." Nadim suggested. Andrianne nodded in agreement. Her heavy shoulders felt a ton lighter when she heard no food was going to be involved in their first date.

"Nadim, I have something to tell you." Andrianne said quietly as they reached the park bench. Nadim just looked straight into her eyes. He saw the glimpse of sadness and hope in her eyes. "When I told the teachers I was sick and Mr. Smith told them what I had, I lied to the class when I said I had stomach flu." Andrianne started.

"Andy, Riley told me." Nadim said cutting Andrianne's long and winding story. "So what if you have migraine, it doesn't mean there is no cure at all." Nadim said enthusiastically.

"There is none." Andrianne mumbled softly as her eyes avoided his.

"But that doesn't mean I can't try to ask you to be my girlfriend." Nadim said and Andrianne stared at him in shocked.

"Nadim, I'm ten. And you're twelve. What's there to rush?" Andrianne asked. "I mean…" Andrianne's voice trailed.

"Andy, its fine if you don't want to. I'd understand." Nadim replied.

"I don't mean that. I like you too, but then I'm sick, I don't want you to be hurt when I am gone later." Andrianne said. Nadim looked at her questioningly. "What exactly did Riley said about me?" Andrianne questioned.

"He told me that you have a crippling headache that you could not get out of bed." Nadim answered.

"Riley told you partly of the truth." Andrianne said smiling and looking straight ahead instead of at the boy next to her. "I have brain tumor." Andrianne revealed. "I have had brain tumor for more than a year. But I don't want anyone to know about it. I don't want people to pity me." She said. Her voice was covered with sadness.

"Andy, really I didn't know. Even if I do, I would still want to ask you out." Nadim smiled.

"Why?" Andrianne asked naively.

"Because you are the first person to see me other than just a jock. Other than just a quarterback." Nadim said. "You first know me as me." Andrianne just smiled at him. "If I ask you to be my girlfriend, would you say yes?" He asked her. Andrianne just nodded as a response. "Would you Andy?" He asked again.

"Yes, Nadim, I will." Andrianne said as her cheek turns pink.

"Just the answer I wanted to hear." Nadim flashed a victorious smile.

"With one condition." Andrianne said quickly as the smile faded form Nadim's face. "We have to honor and promise our ourselves that even with having a relationship; nothing will interfere with our studies." Andrianne smiled.

"Easy enough." Nadim smirked. "What kind of man do you think I am? Of course studies come first, and I promise you I would not do anything stupid. Not to you." Nadim promised. Andrianne smiled. It was their first official date and they watched the sunset together from the park bench, letting the orange light of dusk bathe them both.

The sky starts to turn darker when Nadim started to walk Andrianne back home. "Don't tell Riley about the tumor." Andrianne said suddenly. Nadim just nodded.

"Don't tell him that I asked you to be my girlfriend either." Nadim smiled guiltily. "I told him you are just a friend. And his brother too, in that matter." He said. Andrianne just nodded.

The two new couples walked hand in hand towards the Halliwell Manor. As they reached the curb to the house, their hands part. "I don't think a goodbye kiss is appropriate yet." Nadim said quietly. Andrianne just nodded. Instead he took Andrianne's hand and kissed the back of it before Andrianne walked in and rang the door bell.

Nadim waited until Andrianne was safely inside, then he continued walking towards his road. With a smile plastered on his face, Nadim happily walked home. Andrianne would be in his dreams tonight and the nights to come. To Andrianne, Nadim would be her substance for a daydream but nothing more.


	11. Sisters

Sisters

"Andrianne, want to come and see Phoebe's picture? I'm going to her reunion tonight and I thought I'd do some research on it." Paige asked opening Andrianne's room a little, while she was doing her homework.

"Sure, give me a minute, to finish this up. You go ahead first." Andrianne said as she looked down at the pile of paper on the table.

"Okay, but don't push yourself too hard okay." Paige smiled as she spoke. Andrianne just nodded as a reply to her aunt.

Andrianne went back to her work, then cleaned up her room a little before Chris comes back then went to Paige who was in Piper's room where Paige and Piper was talking.

"Can I come in?" Andrianne said knocking on the opened door frame of Piper's room.

"Wow. Someone acctually knocks. See this is what I talk about, knock before entering." Paige said to Piper, who just made a 'like-I-care' face. "Come on in. Why are you still standing there?" she smiled at her young niece.

"It's must be fun to have sisters right?" Andrianne said walking in and sat opposite Paige and beside her mother. The glow of happiness was radiating from her face as her face makes her seem more happy and more than glad to be there in the room.

"Well, it's fun but you have Chris right…" Paige said.

"Yeah, Chris is so fun." Andrianne replied sarcastically.

"Isn't he?" Piper asked.

"He's all study and work. Never play. Only sometimes when he's free which is not a lot of times." Andrianne said and was cut by Phoebe's scream. All three of them ran out of the room.

"What happened?" Paige and Piper said concurrently.

"What happened? You want to know what happened. The dry-cleaner ruined my dress for tonight that's what happened." Phoebe rambled as she was pointing to the stain on her ruby red dress she had tailored made for her earlier that week for her reunion night.

"Phoebe you know better than to scream in this house if there's no demon." Piper scolded her younger sister.

"I'm sorry but what am I supposed to wear to the reunion tonight?" Phoebe said desperately.

"How about some prison stripes?" Paige joked smirking at Phoebe who was a little flushed with annoyance.

"You told her about the shoplifting?" Phoebe asked Piper. Piper just answered with a sly smile as she darts a look at Paige.

"You little thief." Paige added. Andrianne just stood at the door frame giggling, looking at the three of them talking.

"No. I acted out. Okay?" Phoebe retorted. "Now back to what am I supposed to wear tonight?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you wear your little black suit with the thigh slit? You look sexy and successful." Paige suggested nonchalantly.

"Nah. I think black's too threatening. I'll be in my closet." Phoebe said finally before running back to her room.

"She's funny." Andrianne said almost laughing, as Paige smiled as she turned towards the giggling girl. Chris out of the blue orbs in from nowhere.

"Chris. Hey." Piper said a little startled by the materialization of her grown son.

"Hey." Chris said quickly not even looking at Piper. "Look, I need your help. I think I got scabbards on my tail." He said quickly. Piper and Andrianne looked at each other then they gave him a funny look.

"Oh, well, I have some hydrogen peroxide in my bathroom." Piper said unsure of what he actually meant.

"No!" Chris said wincing a little. "Scabbard demons. I went undercover to follow a lead on who turns Wyatt, but I think they're onto me." Chris utters quickly and still avoiding looking at Piper. "Everything is all right. I need a cloaking spell just in case. Is the book still in the attic?" he asked.

"Yeah, last I saw." Paige said skeptically. Chris just continued to ignore his mother and quickly ran up the stairs to the attic.

"Want me to help you?" Piper uttered but he was already gone into the attic. Leaving her offer hanging. "He hates me." Piper said.

"No he doesn't." Paige begs to differ.

"Yeah, he does." Piper said as she turned and walk back in to her room. Paige and Andrianne turn and followed Piper into the room.

"He's just…" Paige said thinking of the right word to say. "Distracted." She continued. Andrianne just grinned at Paige. "That's all." Paige continues and Piper shot her a dead-pan look. "By… you know… imminent… death." Paige tells her pity excuse.

"He don't hate you, mom. He's just a little distracted and worried." Andrianne said. "About me, about what happened. About Wyatt, and about the world." Andrianne said giving her excuse to Piper.

"That's no excuse; I mean he's been avoiding me for weeks. He won't even look at me. What could I have done in the future that would be so bad?" Piper asked she looks at Andrianne. Andrianne stared at her fingers fiddling with them discreetly. "Andrianne?"

"We can't tell you about the future without changing it too much." Andrianne said quietly quoting what Chris had said to her earlier.

"Maybe he should have a father-son talk." Paige suggested.

"NO!" Andrianne proclaimed as Piper said it too. Paige looked at Andrianne weirdly.

"I can't do that to Leo. He had a hard enough time letting go. Besides, he doesn't even know that I'm pregnant." Piper replied.

"I know but don't boys need their…" Paige said trying to fit some words but cannot seem to find the right one.

"I know that's why I called my father, so he could figure out why his surly new grandson hates me." Piper said cutting Paige mid sentence.

"Chris, don't hate you, ma." Andrianne said softly. Wishing in her heart Chris had not done what he did earlier and his manners as a whole. Andrianne knows in her heart her brother could never be angry at their mother much less hate her to that extent.

"Uh huh." Piper said not really believing any of the reasons both her sister gave and Andrianne. She could feel that Andrianne just wanted to protect her brother and cover for him. She can feel the bond of the two goes way beyond just siblings relationship. "Ooh…" Piper said getting sick again. She got up and Paige followed her from behind to the bathroom.

"I got you." Piper said as she helped Piper to the bathroom.

Andrianne smiled and took Phoebe's yearbook and began flipping them uninterestedly as she waits for her mother and aunt to come out of the bathroom. Phoebe suddenly rushed in with an off-white dress.

"Guys, how about this one?" Phoebe said holing up her dress as the bathroom door closes behind Paige and Piper. "Okay." She said to herself as she smiled at her younger niece.

"Morning sickness." Andrianne said blasé. For she herself was unsure of what it means or what it was really.

"Hmm…" Phoebe smirked. "What you got there?" Phoebe asked as she walks to the bed where Andrianne was flipping Phoebe's senior class yearbook. Andrianne closes the cover to show Phoebe. "I remember that." Phoebe said. "Here," she said asking for the book. "This poem. I remember this poem." Phoebe said nostalgically.

"Didn't know you were much of a poet." Andrianne teased.

"I wasn't." Phoebe said. "Those who mock who I am; Let them always remember when." She read the two lines she wrote on the yearbook. Suddenly she flashed into the teenage self of Phoebe that many had forgotten and Andrianne had never seen.

"You okay Aunt Phoebe?" Andrianne asked.

"Yeah." Phoebe said. "I… ummm… I have to go get ready." Phoebe said quickly before she walks away.

*******

"Mom suspected something." Andrianne said as she helped Chris going through spells in their room after she had her share of chats with her mother and her Aunt Paige.

"What?" Chris asked not knowing what she was talking about.

"About you avoiding her and all. She thinks that you hate her." Andrianne said.

"I don't hate her. I know that and you know that. That's good enough for me." Chris said. Andrianne just nodded. "Hey, I avoid her because I don't want to lose her again. I'm sorry, but I just can't go through it again." Chris said looking at Andrianne.

"Maybe I was too young to remember her." Andrianne said softly, hurt by the tone and the sentence her brother just said to her.

"I didn't mean that." Chris reacted quickly to her words. He kneels down in front of her holding her shoulders. "Maybe you were younger than me and Wyatt was. But I know it affects you too." Chris said. Suddenly they heard his name was called by a familiar voice. "Someone's calling me?" Chris shouted from the room.

"Can you be any nearer to me to shout?" Andrianne said in a whispery tone. 'Sorry.' Chris mouthed and he hushed her.

"Yeah, uh sweetie can you come here for a sec?" Piper called.

"Now what." Chris said tugging Andrianne along with him. "Come on. You're the only one who can save me here." He said and Andrianne just rolled her eyes.

"Jeez!" Victor Bennett cried. "He can come out?" He asked. Chris and Andrianne can hear Piper sighing.

"Umm... can we air this out, 'cause I gotta get…" Chris said stopping mid-sentence as he saw his grandfather sitting near Piper. "Grandpa!" he said quite thrilled, some emotion Piper almost never saw in her son. Chris walks past Piper and hugged his grandfather. He pulled away and he motioned for a distant Andrianne to meet Victor. Victor was stunned and out of words to say as he saw his two quite grown-up grandchildren.


	12. Grandpa

Grandpa

Victor's usual dancing eyes seem confused seeing his two grand children. Andrianne kept her smile to herself as she saw the younger version of her most loved grandfather. The deep lines on his face were lighter and the deep dark circles around his warm eyes were barely there. Piper sat opposite Chris who kept Andrianne by his side at all times. Victor sat at the head of the table.

Andrianne tugged at Chris' arm as she looked up to make him look upon her face. "I have to go do some homework." She said quietly to Chris. Piper just smiled as Chris frowned. He knows she did not have much of a homework to do; she just wanted him to have a face to face with their mother and grandfather.

Chris just nodded signing her she could go if she wanted and h3e would be okay to be with Victor and Piper. "I'm sorry, I have home works. Can I excuse myself?" Andrianne said breaking the thick barrier of cloud between them.

"Are you sure this fine young lady is your daughter?" Victor asked jokingly to Piper. Andrianne just smiled at her grandfather as she neared the old man.

"I am, grandpa." Andrianne said smiling. "I'll see you." Andrianne said and kissed Victor's cheek before she retreated to her room.

"You sure, you're fine?" Chris asked softly to his little sister. Andrianne nodded.

"You talk to him. You guys are close." Andrianne said hinting something to Chris and she smiled slyly. A smile that Chris dreaded when it came from his little sister. The sinister smile that he knew she had planned in her head all along.

"So we're close?" Victor asked. Andrianne was still within earshot. She smiled to herself. She knew Victor is by far the only person who can influence Chris. As hardheaded her brother was, he still have a soft spot for her and their grandpa after the absence of both their parents.

"Yeah. You're awesome, Grandpa." Chris answered, a little crack of a smile forced on his face.

"Hear that?" Victor said looking at Piper. "Awesome." Repeating Chris' exact word.

"Yeah." Chris said quietly. "After the event happened…" Chris started and paused mid sentence. Afraid he might just give out what he was not supposed to. "We got really close." He concluded.

"What event?" Piper asked.

"I can't tell you." Chris said softly. Andrianne sat behind the door listening to every word being uttered between both her brother and grandfather.

"Is this event, um… my fault?" Piper questioned, looking at Chris. "Is that why you're treating me like a non-person?" Piper asked.

"I can't talk about it. It will mess with the future." Chris said trying his best to explain. Warm droplets fell from Andrianne's eyes as she remembered the exact day the event happened. The event that changed many things in her life. The event that changed Wyatt and the very event that made Chris the man he is.

"But you did say I was 'awesome', right?" Victor said trying to change the subject. "You can talk about that?" he asked. A short laugh escaped from Andrianne's mouth. Victor will forever be Victor, the person that cheers the saddest person on the planet, the person that gives hope when none could be seen.

"Yeah. You're the best. I love hanging out with you." Chris replied quite gladly.

"I got to admit, I'm a little surprised." Victor said looking at Piper. "I mean it's no secret I wasn't the world greatest dad." He said with a little sigh and a little tinge of remorse is in his voice. "It means a lot to me that I could do something… To make up for it." he said looking at Chris.

"You do." Chris said quietly smiling to himself. He had, had this conversation before with his grandfather. The exact same one with the exception of Piper.

"After the 'event'?" Piper asked, wanting to know more about the future. Demanding an answer with the tone of her voice.

"Right." Chris answered. His voice low and sadden.

"That you won't tell me about." Piper said, still trying to pry out some answers from Chris.

"I told you, I can't talk about it okay." Chris said rising his voice slightly with a gist of annoyance.

"Hey." Victor meddled. "Don't talk to your mother like that." The hint of authority in his tone was clear for anyone to hear. Piper smiled smugly at Chris as he surrendered in his seat.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Chris said sighing as he leaned back in his seat.

"Piper!" Paige called from the front door. Piper and Victor stood up and walked towards Paige and Phoebe, leaving Chris alone at the dining table sighing. He sipped more of his coffee in his mug and wet to join the commotion at the foyer. Andrianne was already there beside Victor.

"What happened?" Chris questioned, as he saw Phoebe walks up the stairs.

"Well you've heard of recapturing your youth." Paige started. "I think Phoebe's youth is trying to capture her." Paige said enthusiastically.

"Explain." Piper urged.

"I don't know. It's like one minute she was totally normal, the next she's like 'Freaky Phoebe'." Paige replied.

"Great." Chris sighed. "Who else saw?" He asked.

"No one. She changed back before anyone noticed." Paige answered.

"I'm having a little trouble keeping up here." Victor voiced. "Phoebe is being chased by what? Demons?" He questioned.

"Maybe inner demons? Or a spell gone wrong?" Paige said doubtfully. "It seemed to happen after someone named Paula Marks called her…" She continued to recall the name. "Freebie?" she said finally. Somehow, as Paula Mark's name popped everything seems to make more sense to Piper.

"Oh, yeah. That'll do it." Piper said simply.

"You want to go upstairs with me and check the book, see if there's anything?" Paige said to Piper.

"Okay." Piper replied.

"You two go ahead. I need to get back to the Scabbard demons before they know I'm missing." Chris said, unconsciously trying to get away from Piper. In his heart, he was squirming from whatever was going on. He just needed to be by himself doing what he knows best. Fighting demons and supernatural beings.

"Hey, wait, what, and leave your 'awesome' grandpa alone? Grab a sandwich, grab a beer, get an answer." Piper said as she eyed Chris then her father.

Victor was lost in how to deal with Chris; he was never good with his younger generation, moreover prying as answer from them. He pulls out his cigar and offered Chris. "Cubans?" He tried. Chris made a face but he accepts it anyway. Just as long as he could at least make his mother happy. Andrianne concealed a laugh that made her stomach hurts. Chris had never lit a cigarette in his life, she doubts he even know how to smoke.

"What's so funny?" In a whispery voice, Chris said to his sister. Andrianne just shrugged and went to her grandfather.

"I don't think that's a good idea, gramps. Chris doesn't know how to smoke." Andrianne said smiling widely. Victor just ruffled her hair and smiled at her sweetly. "I think I need to leave you guys alone. You have a lot to talk about." Chris stared at his little sister disapproving of her action right that second.

"Grandpa, I really do think you should reconsider your habits." Chris started as he hands Victor the still wrapped cigar. "For future consequences, you know." He said as he inched towards his little sister. Victor quickly stubs the newly lighted cigar on the edge of the wall.

"Thanks, for the pointer." Victor said to his grandson. He looked over at his granddaughter whose resemblance to her brother was impeccable at first glance, "You two are really close aren't you?" Victor smiled. A question with a rhetorical answer that none of them need to voice out loud. "Have the two of you eaten?" Victor suggested. Andrianne just smiled.

"I'll skip dinner." Andrianne voiced politely. "Not that I don't want to go and eat with you, grandpa, it's just sometimes, I don't feel like eating." Andrianne said.

"You sure you are fine?" Chris asked as he placed his hand on her temple, checking for any temperature difference between them. Andrianne pushed his hand away from her face and nodded. "Headache?"

"A little." Andrianne answered quietly.

"Andrianne, you promised me to tell me if you are not well." Chris said as he sat down and sat her on his lap.

"Chris I'm ten. I'm perfectly fine. Just a little headache. Stop treating me like I am five." Andrianne said softly as her eyes never left her brother's face. "Grandpa, you go ahead with Chris okay?" She asked. Victor just shook his head. "Okay fine. I'll go." Andrianne grumbled as Chris smiled at Victor.


	13. Secrets

Secrets

The velvety touch of the red cushion provides comfort for the two siblings and Chris has always made Andrianne felt safe in his arms. With one arm securely wrapped around Andrianne's shoulders and another was holding up a menu for them both.

Victor was utterless looking at the young man before him handling his younger sister tirelessly and patiently. Something he was never to his daughters. Something he only he had wished to be. "You two are very close aren't you?" Victor said breaking the silence between them.

A soft smile escaped from Chris' eyes as he looked at his grandfather then his sister. "Why the fancy restaurant? The cigar?" Chris said questioningly at his grandfather. Victor just smiled at him shrugging his shoulders. "This is not how you did it for us, grandpa. You don't need to spend so much money." He smiled.

"Then tell me what did I do?" Victor said desperately. "I'm crashing here." He said smiling, Andrianne giggled at her grandfather. "Tell me Chris, what did I do?" he asked. Chris just looked at his little sister disapproving of her giggling, as a shrugged escape him as an answer. "Take you to a strip club? Out drinking?"

"God. No grandpa." Chris answered disgustedly. Andrianne could no longer contain her laughter as it broke not so loudly but loud enough for a nudge from Chris. "None of the obscenity." Chris said as his eyes gleaming with hope. "We just talked. Just you and me. No secrets. No lies." Chris spoke softly. His voice sounds of hope yet it was countered with sadness and glum.

"How about you young lady? Are we close too?" Victor questioned.

"Very close grandpa." Andrianne said with her high pitch voice filled with joy.

"So, Chris. If all we do is talk then talk to me." Victor said with his piercing eyes darting at Chris. The young man's eyes fell on the plate.

"Let me guess, Piper asked you to find out what is wrong with me, right?" Chris said uninterestedly. The sparkle in his eyes began to die little by little, as the moment passed. Andrianne who was still leaning to his chest could hear his heartbeat began to rise. She could sense his despair as his heart beat risen.

"She just wants to know why she's such a terrible mother." Victor replied. He tried as much as possible not to sound too accusing. The tension between them suddenly broke. Chris' face changed as he face his grandfather before him.

"She said what?" Chris asked stunned by Victor's accusation. Andrianne straightened up in her seat. "No . She's great." Chris said, his voice sounded surprise as well poignant. "Grandpa. Is that why you are here? Is that what she told you?"

Victor nodded silently. "Do you hate her?"

"God. No grandpa. I love her so much. I could not ever hate her, grandpa. Never." Chris said.

"Then why do you act as if she does not exist?" Victor asked. He could see Andrianne's hand gripped her brothers. Her eyes glisten with tears that were too stubborn to fall. "Andrianne? Do you know why?"

"Because she don't in our future." Andrianne whispered quietly.

"What?" Victor said unsure of what he heard.

"She don't exist in our future." Chris said quietly. Victor's eyes turns wide with wariness. "She died when I was fourteen." Chris explained.

"How?" the only word could escape from Victor's mouth. "I mean why?" He said trying to make of what his grandchild just said.

"Can we not talk about this?" Andrianne requested quietly. "Please." She asked politely. Chris looked at her with a questioning eye. "Please, Chris. I don't need to go through it for the utmost time." Andrianne said.

"Andy, what happened?" Victor questioned. Andrianne just shook her head.

Chris took a deep breath as he held his little sister closer to him. "It's okay. She is going to be fine. She's fine till we were born remember." Chris said softly to Andrianne. Andrianne just laid her head on Chris's chest.

"Can I know what happen?" Victor asked the two siblings. He could feel that Andrianne was on the verge of breaking, and he was very sure she was going to break into her brother's arm if the story was told.

"I was turning fourteen, Andy just turned two. There was a group of demon came and mom was distracted, Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe was hurt. Andy was with me, Wyatt." Chris paused. His voice shook and his throat suddenly went dried.

"Wyatt was gone. He went to the other side. His perception of good and bad was turned. The fireball was his. Mom was pleading for her life, begging it from her own son. My brother." Andrianne said as tears flowed freely down her cheek.

"Shhh. She is going to be fine. We're going to change it." Chris said quietly, wiping the tears from Andrianne's cheek. "She was with me and she could not be apart ever since."

"Good lord. You came her with the knowledge of knowing that you could possibly lose your mother again and you still face her every day?" Victor said. His voice was filled with compassion and sadness. "But Chris, isn't that the more reason for you to be close to her. To get the chance of knowing her?"

Chris just shook his head. "I can't bear losing her twice. The less she knows about me the better. And better still, if she ignores me completely." Chris said. "I have all I need. I have my sister with me."

"But she's your mother." Victor said.

"She stopped being one when Wyatt turned ten. She was too cooped up with Wyatt, she did not even realize she has a baby girl. The one she neglected all her life." Chris said. Even though his voice was soft and calmer, but thick smell of spite was hinted.

"Chris, she's still our mother." Andrianne said as she hit Chris on his arm. "Don't say that about her. I may not know her well, I may not remember her as well as you do but I remembered her being our mother." Andrianne said.

Chris had kept his words to himself. He knows that what he may say will just make Andrianne feel worse. He just wanted everything to go back as it was. Just him, Andrianne, and their grandfather. He wanted to be able to tell him what he felt and just speak his mind.

Tears streamed down Andrianne's face. A soundless cry. She hated Chris for feeling as he did. She knows that he blamed himself for her death. She knows that Chris had been the one taking care of her ever since she could remember. She wanted to feel the same way Chris is feeling but she could not. Not after what she had seen, what Piper could be. She understands the need of protecting Wyatt. Having Chris, but where does she fit in? Nowhere.

"I know you had been the one who took care of me. You had been the one who protected me. But she is still our mother, Chris. And Leo is still our father." Andrianne said quietly. Chris soft face turned rigid at the sound of Leo's name.

"That's the real reason you are not speaking to your mother isn't it?" Victor said tugging an answer from an uncertain basis. "Leo is the one you are avoiding. Then, you avoid your mother so that you would not be reminded of him."

"Leo, has never been there. Not for mom, not for Chris, not for Wyatt, much less me." Andrianne said looking at her grandfather. She knows her grandpa so well that she knows what ever is being said to him at that moment will only stay with him beyond the door. It would never be known by any other person on earth.

As the food was served, Andrianne was still unable to crack Chris' rigidness. "Chris. Listen to me. I don't know what I have done right, but I know this for sure. The more you avoid your mother, the more you will be reminded of the past in the future." Victor said softly. "This is the chance for you to steal her for a moment. How do you know that you have not changed the future by coming to the past and by changing Wyatt's destiny as it is."

Chris looked down on his plate of steak and let out a huge breath. "You had listened and you just was there for us. That was all we need." Chris said quietly. "Maybe I should." He said forcing a smile on his face. Andrianne followed suit as she looked up at her brother.

The three of them talked about nothing that night. Victor just wanted to let go of the image of her daughter dying in front of her children in his head. Andrianne just wanted her brother to be as he was, the cheery and responsible Chris she had missed. As for Chris, he just wanted to make sure everything is fine. Everything including his little sister. He might not know what she feels and what she is enduring but he knows that the funny and strong façade was just a cover of the soft being inside of her.

"Why aren't you eating Rianne?" Victor asked quietly as he saw Andrianne was fiddling with the food on her plate. "Does it taste bad?" He questioned. Andrianne just shook her head to answer him. "You're not feeling well?" He asked as his eyes averted to Chris. Again, Andrianne shook her head. "Want to tell me why?" He tried again.

"I'm fine grandpa. Just a little headache." Andrianne said quietly avoiding Chris' face. "Stop fussing, Chris." She said through gritted teeth as Chris cupped her face to face him. "I'm fine." Victor just kept wondering to himself. "Do you think I'm sick, grandpa?" Andrianne asked the man in front of him.

"Are you?" Victor asked back. Andrianne just shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, it's a little more than headache, but nothing more."Andrianne said as she forced another spoon of mashed potato into her mouth and struggling to keep it down her stomach. It was not easy but life never was for her.

Chris' placed his palm carefully on the small of Andrianne's back. Andrianne knew she would have to tell Victor eventually. She took in the breath that shook the contents of her stomach. She really hope that he would never need to know this from her. At least not when the mood was as fine as this.

"I'm sure you're going to be fine once you rest up. I know how hard it is to be around boys all day." Victor winked at the girl to lighten up the mood. The tiny lips on the face of the little girl curved forming a smile. "You have a pretty smile, Rianne. You really seemed like Piper when she was younger. Maybe apart from her temper. She had always had little patience for any kind of problems."

"You have never seen her. She is mini mom." Chris mumbled; just as he finished his sentence, Andrianne's elbow landed on his ribcage. He faked the pain and muffled a laugh.

"You called her, mom." Andrianne smiled. Mission accomplished. Andrianne's pale lips were stretched from ear to ear, triumphant in making Chris to remember himself. His roots. And most importantly, his family…


	14. Mom

Mom

A stunned Victor materialized with his two grandchildren in the attic. Andrianne smiled as she assisted her grandfather to sit on the stool. Piper and Paige who was sitting down scrying for Phoebe instantly stood up and neared her father.

"You're okay." Piper said happily seeing the three of them, no bruises, not dismemberment and just fine. Victor was still stiff from being stunned turned his head slowly as if he could break it if he moves too fast.

"Who says I'm okay?" Victor said finding his voice. Andrianne giggled as she looked at Chris.

"You'll get used to orbing in the future, grandpa." Chris said with a smile stretching from ear to ear. A picture Piper and Paige do not see every day from him.

"You'll love orbing in the future." Andrianne said giggling as she walked towards her mother. "Goodnight, mom." Andrianne said as she excused herself to her room.

"Are you feeling well, dear?" Piper said cupping her daughter's chin up to face her. Andrianne just nod silently. "You're a little pale, darling. I think you better stay here with your brother." Piper said quietly. Andrianne just replied with a groan. "Want to learn how to scry?" Piper asked, Andrianne looked at her weirdly and broke out a laugh.

"With fire?" Andrianne asked excitedly. The one way she is never allowed to scry with.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Start with the crystal first, young lady." Piper said as Andrianne sat beside Paige.

"Let me try." Andrianne said. "Who are we looking for again?" She asked casually.

"Phoebe." Paige said as she hands the young girl the scrying crystal. "Maybe all we need is a little beginner's luck." She teased. Andrianne just made a silly face as they both laughed.

"Isn't Phoebe downstairs in her room?" Victor questioned his two daughters.

"She's out the window, dad." Piper answered. "Just like old times." She shook her head.

"Worse still she's under the influence." Paige said cynically.

"Of alcohol?" Chris questioned. Andrianne looked at her brother. 'What?' Chris mouthed.

"Nope. Of adolescence." Paige answered.

"What do you think this is 2018? Alcohol can make you go bonkers like drugs?" Andrianne mumbled quietly. Piper and Paige stared at her silently waiting for her to repeat what she just said. "What?" She questioned.

"Bonkers?" Piper said. She shook her head and turned to back to her father. "And she stole a cop car as a prank."

"That's not a prank. That's a felony." Victor replied. "What was she thinking?" She said to himself.

"Well, she isn't. Teen Phoebe apparently has her adult powers. She casted one on her senior class and the rest is history." Paige voiced out.

"Luckily, Paige was able to reverse the spells on her class mates." Piper said as Paige smiled smugly. "And, ouh..." She said as she stepped back woozily. Chris and victor quickly reached out to her as Andrianne instantly got to her feet and near her mother.

"Whoa. Here." Chris held her for a while and let her go. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Piper said as she looked at her daughter beside her. "I'm just a little light headed." She said.

"I'm sorry." Chris said softly. "You know, about me." He gestured at his mother's stomach. A smile formed on Piper's face.

She hummed a 'hmm' as a reply to her son. "That must have been some hell of a talk." Piper quipped. Chris just looked down and then at his little sister.

"Let's get you off your feet, honey." Victor said as he escorted his daughter out of the attic.

"Look, we need to stop Phoebe before she gets into some trouble that we can't get her out of." Chris said diverting Paige's attention to him.

"Chris, let me try. I found Ryan with it before. I know how to do it." Andrianne said. Chris just shook his head. Piper just stood in her track to hear out her daughter's suggestion that Chris is strongly against.

"Try what?" Paige asked.

"You're not doing it again." Chris said through gritted teeth. "It's too dangerous. You're not scrying with fire. Especially not here."

"Scrying with fire?" Piper asked. Andrianne pleaded with her face.

"Aunt Paige can't get her with the crystal. Why not try. Fire is way more powerful than crystal." Andrianne reasoned.

"And way more dangerous too." Piper backed Chris up before he even has the chance to voice his mind. "Andrianne, we'll save it for the last choice if we really have no other choices to make. Okay darling?" Piper coaxed her. Andrianne just sighed as she nodded.

Just as Paige about to announce that she had found Phoebe, two scabbards demon materialized and attacked them. Victor jet to the door as Chris froze. "Glass." Paige said loudly as she waved her hand and motioned it towards one of the demon. The shard piece of glass just disintegrated with the bodily fluid of the demon. It does not do much other than just stalling the demon,

The demon took a deep breath and shoot his venom towards Paige with full of vengeance. "Icky stuff." Paige said to the yellow slime aimed at her. The slime was deflected back to the demon. As it hit him at the square of his chest, the demon burst into flames right in front of their eyes as the other one just took off in the whips of the wind.

"Andrianne." Chris said alerted as his sister was out of his sight.

"I'm fine." Andrianne said as she rose out of a clatter of glass. "Just a little cut. Nothing I can't handle." She said as she healed herself. "Chris. What did I say about scrying with fire?" She smiled as she held up the ruined scrying crystal.

"No." Chris said still headstrong about his decision. "Let me do it. I'm not going to let the same thing happened five years ago happen to you. Not if I can prevent it." Chris said shaking his little sister as he=is mother and grandfather witnessed it.

"Headstrong, temperamental. You remember right, Chris. I never listen to you." Andrianne mocked her brother.

"For god sakes, Andy. This is not the time. And your health clearly doesn't permit it." Chris said. "Mom please talk some sense into this kid."

"Andrianne, I do think your brother is right." Piper intervene.

"Mom, please. Scrying uses the least of strength." Andrianne reasoned. Piper sighed.

"It still uses strength to scry with fire." Piper said. "I have another crystal and I am sure Paige noted where she was just now." Piper looked at Paige who was not very sure of what to answer. Andrianne just shook her head.

"I will never get to do anything would I?" Andrianne pouted.

"Just look at you. Trying to act grown up and then pouts like a little baby." Chris scolded. "Andy, come on. I'm tired of fighting and of just arguing. We made a deal, you'll get your chance once your power is matured enough. You are still way too young to be consumed in all these things."

"Fine." Andrianne stomp her feet once as Chris neared her.

"I'm sorry for raising a little brat for you mom." Chris said to Piper. His voice were just contented, no sinister tone nor apologetic tone in them. "Come on now, as much as I want to ground you right now, I don't have the means to any more. Nor do I have the power. So I just need you to get your rest before you faint. Deal? And tomorrow we can have a long day of practice while we can okay?" Chris said softly as he knelt down to her level. Andrianne just nodded nonchalantly. "Good."

"Okay, dad. That was freaky." Piper said as she set her hand on the small of Chris' back. A jolt of energy sort of course from the point she touched to his whole body. "You do remind me of me." She said smiling to Andrianne. "And I like the ring of your voice when you call me mom." Piper smiled sheepishly at her son.

Paige who was quietly observing the family bonding instantly voiced. "Take the crystals and barricade the room. I'm searching for Phoebe the new way." She said. All four pairs of eyes were pinned on her. "Cell phone." She smiled.

*******

Piper placed the crystals on the windowsills as a barricade against any demon that wanted to enter the attic. Also, it was going to work as a safe place for Chris to be in. "The crystals should protect you. They won't be able to find you as long as you stay in the attic." Piper said softly to her son. Her sour-faced daughter was now resting her tired body on the couch.

"Are you sure about that?" Chris questioned Piper as his eyes drifted towards his sister. He wondered why was she keep on finding things to fight about with him.

"Pretty sure." Piper answered.

"Alright. You and Wyatt need to go somewhere safe." Chris said suddenly as he walked towards the attic door. "I'm going to get him."

"No. You are going to stay in this room and not move." Piper said as she catches her son's strong arm. "I'm going down and help Paige summon Phoebe."

"But mom, I'm part witch too remember. I can help Paige do that." Chris insisted.

"Chris, listen to your mother." Victor said softly to his grandson.

"What if something bad happened to her?" Chris questioned.

"Nothing bad will…" Piper said stopping midsentence. "Is that what you two have been living with? Something happened to me?" Piper asked. Chris nodded as Andrianne sat up straighter on the couch. "What is it Chris?"

"I can't tell you. I could change the future in even worse ways." Chris responded.

"Right, but isn't that why you came here in the first place to make the future better? How do you know you haven't already changed mine?" Piper asked. Andrianne stood up and walked towards them.

"She's got a point." Victor spoke quietly.

"She don't have a point grandpa. The future will vary with every little action or knowledge we know." Andrianne said.

"Alright, whatever happened will not happen till you two were born." Piper said softly. "So save it. I'll be real careful in the time being." Piper said.

Andrianne leaned her head towards Chris' waist as she took his hand to wrap around her shoulders. 'I'm sorry.' She mouthed at her brother. Chris just gave her a simple nod and smile. "Be careful mom." Andrianne said. Piper smiled at her two children and went straight to Paige leaving Victor with them.

Andrianne and Chris was glad that the issues between Chris and their mother was resolved. A mother that she never knew and he never had. Chris loves his mother too much to let her get hurt but she did anyways. With much hope, he really wished that this time would be different. Andrianne was just glad to know and remember her face.


	15. Ryan Ritter Smith

Ryan Ritter Smith

_Dream  
"Knowledge is the most important thing. You can do anything, be anyone you like with knowledge." A young man of about twenty years of age said as he looked upon the little petite pupil in front of him. "Annie, I know you hate this, but believe me, this is important." He said. "I'm sure Chris would be proud of you for learning history. It is not all about dead people. It's more about learning their mistakes and not repeats them."_

_Andrianne groaned as she rolled her eyes at the older man who now was at her eye level. "Ryan, it's not that I don't want to learn history." Andrianne paused. "Okay, maybe I don't. But that's not my fault. It's about dead people. It's just like a bedtime story. Give me real education. Math, science or even the magical thing and beings. Just please no history today. I even hate the _Book of Shadows_." She whined. "Just don't tell Chris. It's his sacred book." Andrianne giggled._

_Ryan sighed at the little girl in front of him. "Imagine this, say in thirty or forty years time and you had done something really big like find the vaccine for cancer, you'd be in the history books as well." Ryan said. "Or there are a new pact of demon attacked and you have killed it but they come back in a few thousand years, you'd want your next generation to be able to know what they have to do. That my dear is history." Ryan smiled._

_Andrianne just rolled her eyes at the young man. "You know, if Chris was here he would agree with you. But he is not is he?" Andrianne said sarcastically at Ryan. "Come on Ryan, You know I love you and all, but I just can't stand history. Give me some problems to solve and we call it a day, shall we." She said merely a suggestion. _

"_Four out of seven days a week, you are studying math and science and I never hear a complaint. Three of which is with me. Two days, you study your language and literature, and I never ever hear any whine either. Just one day, one, for history and you're always finding a way to get out of it." Ryan reasoned. "Listen here little missy, you as well as everyone knows that this is the most boring subject to teach as well as to learn, but it is as significant as your math and sciences. So will you just shut your yapping hole and learn. Then you can beat me in tennis or football. Your call." Ryan said sealing a covenant with the young girl._

_Andrianne sighed heavily and shook her head. "Football it is." Andrianne said half heartedly. "But I choose the topic." Andrianne said bargaining on her side. Ryan just nodded. "Okay. Nothing political or beyond 1950's. Let's keep it up to date." Andrianne smiled. _

"_Okay." Ryan said pleased. "Events and preventions. Tsunami, 2004, Nusantara or World Trade Center, 2001, New York City. Pick one and discuss." Ryan said._

_Andrianne sighed. "History." Andrianne said heavily. "Tsunami, December 26__th__, as an after effect of an underwater earthquake a few minutes after midnight or something like that, the epicenter of the earthquake is in the west coast of Indonesia. And many were affected because many were unaware of the warning of the earth quake since tsunami never occurred there before. This even also known as the Boxing Day Tsunami." The nine year old girl said as her eyes closed and trying to remember what she read the previous night. She opened her eyes and Ryan nodded in agreement."WTC, September 11__th__, 2001. Said to be a terrorist attack by an Asian terrorist and I can't remember anymore." Andrianne gave up. _

"_What part of or don't you understand." Ryan said shaking his head. "Andrianne, I know you are a smart girl. You learn fast, faster and more brilliant than any other girl your age. Even the home schooled ones." Ryan said. "The only problem with you is that, you are too stubborn to learn about the past and to accept that changes might not be all or the bad." _

"_What past?" Andrianne said harshly. She knew what Ryan was saying was about her past. "I never knew my father, my mother died when I was two, and my brother gave in to evil. Another brother cannot wait to leave me to go to the past that he thinks he could change. Which is absurd considering he will not exist in the past." She said half yelling as she stood up a little too fast, and a wave of dizziness washed over her as her vision blurred in front of her. _

_The next thing she felt was a pair of hands holding her as her legs gave up on her. Her weight was entirely on the supporting hand. Hot liquid was trickling down her nose and the stench of iron and salt fills her lungs. "Andy, my god. What's happening?" Ryan's frightened voice whispered in her ears. She could hear footsteps coming to them. The narrow heels clucked on the wooden floor hurriedly. Bianca. The name came up in her mind._

"_Put her down slowly, Ryan." Bianca said accusingly. _

"_No. it's not what you're thinking." Ryan defended himself. "She stood up and blood was coming down her nose and ears." Ryan said. Andrianne forced her limp arm to move but nothing happened. A groan escaped her mouth as she felt the woman snatched her body from the only other man she trusted other than her brother. _

"_Andy wake up." Bianca whispered quietly. _

"_Andy please don't do this to me." Ryan said in a pleading tone. "Andy." He called over and over.  
End Dream_

"Andy." The voice called to her. "Come on, Andrianne." A cold towel were pressed on her nose as she used all her might to force her eyes open. "That's it girl. Easy does it." Ryder's voice said softly as he aided her to sit down.

"What happened?" Andrianne asked.

"You guys were studying I guess, and you might have pushed yourself a little too hard and fainted." Ryder said as his hand was still holding the towel to stop her nose bleed. "You must have hit your head hard on the table to have a nose bleed this bad."

Andrianne's eyes were transfixed to the pair of eyes in front of her. "Your left eye have a fleck in it." Andrianne's voice came out merely a whisper. Ryder shook his head smiling at the young girl. "And your eyes are blue." She smiled.

"Okay now, you feeling better?" Ryder asked. Andrianne just nodded. "Want to tell me what happened?" He questioned. A shrugged says it all. "Who is Ryan?" He asked quietly, so that no one else would hear. Andrianne's cheek instantly turned pink at the question. "Hmm…" he smiled at the young girl. "I can keep a secret." He smiled as he helped her on her feet.

"Thank you." Andrianne said shyly.

"I better call your aunts. You should get a proper rest. And the rest of the day off." Ryder said as he walked Andrianne to the nurse's station followed by two other younger boys, Riley and Nadim. Andrianne could not disagree with the father of the man she had a crush on in the future. "And the two of you should be off to class not tailing me." He said hinting to his younger brother and Nadim.

"But…" Nadim started but was cut by Ryder.

"I know she's your girlfriend, she's just not feeling well and need to get some rest. You two go back to class." Ryder said full of authority. The other two boys could not say much but to obey him. As soon as they were nowhere in sight and they entered the nurse's station, he sat Andrianne up on the examination bed. "Do they know about the tumor?" he asked.

"Nadim does." Andrianne said quietly.

"Are you getting treatment for it?" Ryder questioned. He did not even need to wait for the answer for he already know himself. "You know that you should be getting treatment for it right?" He said. "Andrianne, I know you are stubborn and you keep saying that, will to live is the best medication, whatever crap and all, but I am sure there are many people want to see you live and be happy." He started.

"And that every one that I can think of loves me just that the way they show it is different." Andrianne said quoting what Ryan said to her when she decided to stop the treatment she was getting.

"How'd you know I was going to say that?" Ryder questioned. The answer he wanted to listen to was cut by a nurse entering the room. "She fainted in homeroom, luckily my brother called me. She had a nose bleed for about four minutes and apparently there are no bruising on her head, suggesting that she did not hit her head upon falling." He explained.

"Ryder, I know you want to be a doctor, but I think you are a little ahead of yourself diagnosing for her." The female nurse said to him. Ryder just smiled and turn towards the door.

"Oh, one more thing, she have brainstem glioma. Just so you know." Ryder said before exiting the room.

"Ryder. Wait." Andrianne called. "He can stay till my brother come and pick me up right?" she asked. The nurse whose name was Allison just nodded. "Please." She asked politely to Ryder. The young man just sighed as he walked back in and sat beside Andrianne.

"Who is Ryan?" Ryder asked quietly as the nurse walked out of the room to another room. Andrianne just sighed.

"A friend." Andrianne answered quietly. She wanted to scream to him and tell him that Ryan Ritter Smith is going to be his son. His heir. He is her doctor. A secret that she could tell no one except for her brother.

"Like Nadim?" Ryder questioned her some more. Andrianne answered him with a shook of her head.

"No. He is more like a big brother. Something like you. He was the one who thought me everything, well almost everything I know." Andrianne said. Her eyes lost in the memories she had with Ryan.

"you sound close to him. You must've missed him a lot to say his name while you're out." Ryder teased.

"Is there going to be one day that you are not teasing me?" Andrianne asked. Ryder shook his head. "I'll tell Mr. Smith that you are bulling me and Nadim again." Andrianne said whining. He just raised his eye brow to her. "Fine. I'll just have to learn to live with it then." She said finally giving up.

"Ms. Perry, your brother is here." Nurse Allison said as she entered the room after around ten minutes of absence. "Mr. Smith, you better get back to class." She said quietly.

"Yeah." Ryder smiled at the young nurse before heading for the door. "Dy, think about the treatment. It would not kill you to try would it?" He said before disappearing out of Andrianne's sight. Andrianne just nodded quietly to herself.

"I heard." Chris said as Andrianne walked beside him after leaving the school compound. "You should really consider it you know." He smiled at his sister as they orbed home.

"Don't tell mom please." Andrianne said quietly as they got home. Chris just nodded not thinking that the school wo9uld have called their mother as well. "When I was out, I dreamt about Ryan." Andrianne said. "He really does look a lot like Doc. He is like Doc." Andrianne said smiling.

"Did Ryder know?" Chris asked a little alarmed. Andrianne shook her head. A soft sighed escaped from him. "I know you like him." Chris smiled. "It's so obvious. I wonder how a person as smart as him could not realize that."

"Do you ever think that he was just ignoring it. He said he thinks I'm too young." Andrianne replied. "He said he don't want to make the same mistake his father made."

"He was not a mistake and he knows that." Chris said.

"But I was." Andrianne looked down as she uttered her words.

"Oh, Andy. You are not." Chris said realizing where the conversation was heading. He held his little sister close to him as he felt the silent tears stained his t-shirt. "You are my little angel. You can never be the mistake." He whispered so softly he wondered if Andrianne heard what he just said.


	16. Treatment

Treatment

Piper looked at Chris as he looked after Wyatt and his little sister in the nursery she build for Wyatt. Somberly she looked down on her pregnant stomach. "Thank god, I have you my little angel." Piper said quietly to herself as she felt the little feet kicking her from the inside as if he understands what she was saying.

"Mom, can I have a word with you and Chris?" Andrianne said softly as she looked up at her mother. Piper just nodded as she entered the nursery. "Before I came here," Andrianne started. "Six months before I came here, I was told I have six months to live. I'm two months past my expiry date as Ryan like to say it." She joked. Chris straight face was not at all amused by the little joke she made. "Well, I know you would want me to proceed with my treatment, but I think it's a waste of time, money and my usable energy." Andrianne reasoned.

"Let me worry about the money." Piper said.

"But mom, how would you know I will survive this lifetime." Andrianne questioned.

"Andy, please." Chris said quietly as Andrianne's eyes looked up at his broken eyes. "I'll do anything and everything for you just to be well and with me." He said selfishly. "You are the only thing that keeps me going and prevent me from going insane." He said as his eyes brimmed with hot liquid.

Andrianne sighed. She hated herself for being too soft for Chris. With heavy heart, she nodded. "With one condition." She said looking at her mother. "Both of you have to let me go when the time comes for me." She said quietly.

"Come here." Chris said as he set Wyatt down beside him to make room for Andrianne. The young girl cocked a smile as she sat on her brother's lap. "I can never let you go, not without a fight. As selfish as I may sound, it is the truth. You're my little sister; you'll be the only one." He said as he let the warm liquid spilled from his eyes.

Andrianne wrapped her arms around Chris as she buried her face on his chest listening to his accelerated heartbeat and the soothing sound of his breath. "You have to let me go someday." She whispered quietly.

Piper laid her hand on Andrianne's back as she pulled away from Chris. With the pad of her thumb, she wiped the tears streaming down her brothers face, as he would have done to her. Piper was lost for words of what to say to her children.

"You'll take care of him once I'm gone right mom?" Andrianne said softly as her eyes turned to Piper.

"He's my son, of course." Piper said quietly.

"Please, whatever is going to happen, don't tell dad." Andrianne said in a pleading tone. "Please don't make it harder than it already is." She said quietly. Chris just nodded. He certainly would never tell him. He had never been a part of their family from the time he could remember. He would only come down once in a while to see Piper and Wyatt but never the two of them. He even wondered at some point weather he knew of their existence.

Piper did not say anything but she knows what happened in the future might still happen at the rate of Leo's existence in her life.

*******

Chris did not wait much longer in coming up with a plan for his little sister. It was later that same night he called upon all the Halliwell sisters and their grandfather to assemble at the dinner table. Victor came soon after he got the call from his daughter.

"Grandpa, at the risk of giving you a heart attack, I think you better sit down for this." Andrianne said when she was finally alone with her grandfather. Victor smiled coolly at her and sat opposite her. "Grandpa, when at the table during our dinner the other day, I was not eating not because I was full or I was having a migraine." She started.

"Andrianne, its fine. I don't really know what you like and don't in the future. I will learn soon enough." Victor replied softly to his granddaughter.

"It's not that grandpa." Andrianne said quietly. "I need you to listen and not freak out okay?" She asked. Victor just nodded. "I have a tumor in my brain that sometimes makes me feel like I need to throw up without a reason. I black out pretty much every other day and I have intense headache every day." Andrianne explained.

Victor's jaw literally dropped to the floor upon hearing Andrianne. He could not think of anything appropriate to say to her neither he could quip up a joke nor he could find his voice. He took a deep breath and looked at his brave granddaughter.

"I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier." Andrianne apologizes. "That is the real reason Chris called for you to come tonight. He wants everyone to know and he don't want to make a decision on treating me without consulting with you and mom." Andrianne explained. "But I just want you to know before he told you. I want you to hear this from me and not someone else."

"Rianne, I'm so sorry to hear this." Victor said softly. Andrianne just smiled and got up of her seat to join her brother, aunts and mother at the dinner table with Victor trailing behind her. Four pair of eyes was staring at both of them as they walked in.

"I'm not going to drop dead here." Andrianne mumbled. "Stop staring." She said as she said beside Chris.

"Watch your tone and words please." Chris said as he sucked in as much air he could. Andrianne stuck out her tongue out at her brother as he just rolled his eyes. "No date tomorrow." He whispered quietly. A groan escaped Andrianne.

"Fine." Andrianne pouted.

"Okay, what about this time?" Paige questioned as she observed the two siblings.

"I still can ground her." Chris smiled proudly at his mother. "And I still hold her biggest secret." He said eyeing his little sister who was still pouting. "Now stop pouting or Ryan would have to live with a girlfriend with beak." Chris joked as a big punch landed on his arm. "Ouch. I really have to see what that guy feed you."

Andrianne's pale face turned crimson in embarrassment. "I thought, Nadim?" Phoebe said questioning. "Never mind. I don't understand kids nowadays." She said taking back her question.

"He's my tutor." Andrianne said with a higher pitch voice defending herself against her brother's claim. "Nadim. Well, he's just a good friend." She spoke shyly.

"You kids do start early nowadays." Victor commented. Smiling slyly at his daughters as well as his granddaughter.

"He's a friend." Andrianne repeated herself defensively.

"Okay we are not here to talk about friends and boyfriends." Piper started. "Chris and I had agreed to let you make the call. We know eventually you would be the one making the choices and you had done so very well." Piper said.

"Mom. I thought we agreed. I'd do it with that one little condition." Andrianne said cutting whatever else Piper was going to say.

"Andy, we can't do it. We can't make you do it, if that what you wish." Chris said with a pinch of hurt in his voice.

"Chris. You've made many decisions for me all my life. What difference does it make? What if I'm dying you won't want to be liable of it? Or just that you are going to feel guilty if I die?" Andrianne said darting her eyes quickly to her brother and brother. "Mom, when the time comes, it comes. Life, death, they don't wait for no one." Andrianne reasoned.

"Who made you so wise?" Piper said softly.

"You, grandpa, dad, my brothers, my aunts and everyone." Andrianne replied quietly. "The point is mom, for once in my life; make up my mind for me. Please, just once. Just this once." She trailed in despair. "Have I gone through it? Yes. I know the pain; I know the effects that it made to my body. I don't care. I really don't. I'm numb. I've always been. Just I want us to be a family again. You and Chris. You'll have each other forever at least."

"Andy, don't say that." Chris cut her words before she went further with her emotion. "We can never be a family without you. I can't." Chris said. His soft voice rising with every word. His eyes glassy as his veins felt as if it was filled with pins. "Think about it. Think about me."

"Chris, this is one thing I have no control over. I have control, over my thoughts and my movements. But I have no control over my life, my soul. God gave me my life; it's his to take it back." Andrianne said. She could feel everyone's emotion in that room. She felt as if she could explode with sadness and she could feel her brother's anger. He's angry with himself for leaving her, he's angry to god for giving her such short life. "Stop it. All of you. Stop." She pleaded. "Just stop."

"Andrianne." Chris started.

"Not another word. Listen to what I have to say." Andrianne said calmly as she gulps in a deep breath. "I know you're sad because you had to leave me. Seriously, I understand. What's in the future is uncertain. We can't determine our future. We can only do it for our present. We can only plan on it. What I'm having is no one faults. Stop blaming yourselves because of me. I've stopped. Ryan did. So please." Andrianne begged. Not one eye was dried at the end of her plea. Not one but her own.

"Have you lost your mind?" Chris said, piercing his eyes on her. "What have you done to Andrianne?" He demanded.

"She grew up, to be a braver person. She don't need to run away from her destiny. She don't want to run away anymore. She's safe wherever she is. Chris, you thought me to be brave and not afraid of anything that we face. The monsters in the dark, the boogeyman under the bed. Remember." She said with soft glistening eyes. "Just think of this as the bad boogeyman. I'll be with you forever, Chris. I'll be with you in heart. I'll be with you in your soul." She spoke quietly. "All of you, the memories, the sweet and hurtful ones are the livelihood of a person. The memories are the one that we leave and the memories are the one that will forever be with all of us."

"No." Chris whispered, cursing to himself silently. What have he done to teach her to accept this so easily.

"It's never easy, Chris. It will never be." Andrianne said as she held her dear brother close to her. "Either way, whether you left or not. Whether I'm well or not this has to happen. This has been written even before we existed."

"It doesn't have to end this way." Chris cried.

"Every beginning has an end. This mine. This was how I was written. No one or whatever you are thinking can change this. Not even dad." Andrianne said.

"What are you saying?" Piper asked as quickly as her ears catch Andrianne saying about Leo.

Andrianne just smiled as an answer. "People change. Elders are people with immortality. Elders are still human. They still have feelings." Andrianne said. Her words were enough to shake the whole room to silence. To make them understand, things that will be are not always as been. As the future can be altered by a slight change of hope and dreams.


	17. Second Date

Second Date

Andrianne tiptoed her way past her sleeping brother to the living room. "Mom. Mom." Andrianne whispered as she made her way to the kitchen where Piper was feeding Wyatt his dinner. "Hey sunshine." She said kissing Wyatt's cheek. "Mom, Chris is sleeping. I'm supposed to be grounded for talking back at him, but I have a date with Nadim. Can you cover for me for a while?" She said hurriedly.

"He's outside isn't he?" Piper asked as she heard the pebbles being thrown to her upper bedroom window. Andrianne sighed and nodded shyly.

"He never listens." Andrianne rolled her eyes as she hurried towards the front door.

"Andrianne Hope Halliwell." Chris called her full name loud enough for both his mother and sister to hear. "Which part of grounded don't you understand?" He questioned his little sister who was awkwardly smiling at him.

"He's outside." Andrianne said pleading from her brother. "Oh, mom. Please. You are in power to overpower him." Andrianne said looking at her mother. Piper just looked at Chris. "Please. Chris. This might be my last night out." She reasoned as she pouted her lips a little.

Piper concealed her laughter with her hands covering her mouth. "Right?" Chris said half smiling at his little sister. "It's Nadim isn't it?" He questioned. Andrianne nodded. "Please tell him this is the last night date you two will have."

"I love, love, love you." Andrianne said giddily as she jumped and kissed her elder brother. "Last night date. Promise." She whispered as he carried her in his arms weightlessly. "And tomorrow I'm all yours, for the treatment starts." He carried her till the door where she begged to be put to the floor where she reached up and kissed her brother once more before she bids good-bye.

"A rose for my lovely lady." Nadim said as he handed a rose, as they were sure they were out of earshot as well as out of sight of her mother and brother.

"What is this? The eighteen hundreds?" Andrianne replied with a smile that stretches from ear to ear. "Very well, fine sir." Andrianne followed suit and accepted the rose. "Shall you not tell me, where our destination would be?" she asked as she placed her little arm in his.

"Okay I give up, I'm not as good of these olden English talk. But this is a surprise." Nadim said. "Your brother told me about your decision, he also told me that this might just be the last night we could be together, alone." He said, a hint of sadness blurred in his voice.

"So he knew?" Andrianne questioned. Nadim just nodded. "He knew we had a date tonight and still he was so sure of grounding me. Or you knew about that as well?" Andrianne asked. Nadim just shrugged naughtily. "You, brat." She accuse as she hit his arm playfully.

"Okay, okay. It was to build the suspense of tonight. And I was told not to feed you and not to take you too far from your house and also, I was told you like stars, literature and here's the surprise." Nadim said as he pulled Andrianne's arm to walk faster. "You like songs and dances, you like old English and you like Ryder, Riley, Julia and our friends." Nadim said as he revealed to her the decorated backyard of Mr. Smith' house. "He told me that you might not make prom, so we make one for you. Just as you like it, ma lady." Nadim smiled as he held his stretched arms to Andrianne.

"You're a sick, sick man, Mr. Sultan. And your parents are okay with this?" Andrianne questioned.

"No one said it's my home, my dear. It's Mr. Smiths' idea." Nadim confessed.

"Aha." Andrianne smiled as the two hosts greeted them in their trench coat and high hat. "Mr. Smith." Andrianne greeted them with a curtsy.

"Miss. Perry, Mr. Sultan." Riley said as he gestured them to enter his decorated lawn.

"Where are your folks?" Andrianne asked Riley who was right behind her.

"Out. And they know. Plus Ryder's here. So it's totally fine." Riley answered quietly. "You look lovely tonight, Miss Perry." Riley spoke getting back into his character.

The soft slow music filled the air as their feet moved on the grass wet with night dew. As the moon is the witness of true friendship and puppy love, the circle of friends danced happily under the moon blanketed by the stars and supported by the green grass covered earth.

"Thank you." Andrianne whispered softly as she danced with Ryder.

"What for?" The young man questioned.

"For everything and more." Andrianne replied as she let her head fell on his chest. He felt so familiar. His smell brings back so many memories. Ryan has no idea how much he and his father have in common. A single tear fell on the earth beneath her feet as she wished Ryder did not realized it.

"Let not ruin the moment, my dear. As the tears shed will only be the fall of the happiness build for the night." Ryder said quietly.

"Let not the tears be the barrier between the joy of the night and the somberness of the morning. As the morning comes, this façade would only appear a lie, and the lie is nothing more than an act." Andrianne said as she curtsy her dance and Nadim took her back to in his arm. "I need to sit." Andrianne said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Nadim asked as he hurried her to a chair. "Are you sick?" He asked as he hovered over her. Andrianne shook her head.

"I danced four songs in a row. A little tired, even for a normal person. Maybe Julia is an exception." Andrianne mumbled as Nadim fetch her a glass of punch. "Hey, Nadim, would you dance with me my last dance for the evening?" She requested.

The song was 'Never Had a Dream Come True' by S Club Seven. "Ironic isn't it." Andrianne said softly to the young man whom she was dancing with.

"Huh?" Nadim asked unsure of what she was implying.

"Never had a dream come true?" Andrianne smiled as she looked into her date's eyes. It was inviting her into his soul yet there was a thick barrier between them, the one that keep them who they are. "I had all my dreams before tonight and I was sure I was ready to leave it all behind. I was sure I was not going to regret leaving anything." Andrianne spoke quietly.

"You're regretting it now?" Nadim questioned.

"I grew up having nothing. Nothing to hold on to, nothing at all. Now I have everything I could ever dream off." Andrianne said. "Now I have so much to lose."

"Maybe that's the reason to keep on living." Nadim said softly.

Andrianne just smiled at him knowing what he was doing. "My brother really should not have put you through this. I know how his mind works. And you are not fooling me, not for a second." Andrianne said to the older boy.

"Dy, but I do really care." Nadim said gazing lightly into her eyes. "Andrianne Hope Perry, would you accept me as your boyfriend?" Nadim asked as he knelt on one knee as the song ended. Witnessed by the little group of friends they got assembled under the moonlight where the stars shone their blessing over them, Nadim opened a small pink box containing a silver band with a little rose crystal on it. "Would you, Dy?" He asked again to the stunned young girl.

"Yes." Andrianne managed to croak out of her throat. "Yes." She exclaimed louder. "Yes, get off your knees, you're making me blush." She said as she tugged on Nadim's arm.

"You look pretty when you blush." Ryder teased. Andrianne narrowed her eyes at Ryder. "Andrianne, only a fool can't see that you two are all over each other all the time." Ryder said. "Just that I never knew him for a cheesy Romeo."

Andrianne smiled as talked with her friend for a few minutes before she excused herself home. The night was getting late but Nadim was not ready to let her go for the night. Together they walked towards the Halliwell manor. "Nadim, remember this night as our night. Remember me as this for always. I don't want you to remember me when I sick. Will you do that for me?" Andrianne asked as they approach the house.

"You will always be the beautiful girl, the smart girl that first stole my heart with an equation and with her wit. Beauty is merely a façade that we show to the world for always. As our heart is what stays true." Nadim smiled as he kissed her hand and bid her goodnight. "Dream the sweetest dream, my lady." He smiled as Piper opened the door for her little girl.

"As you, my good sir. Let this night be remembered for always." Andrianne bid with a smile sealed on her face.

"For always." Nadim said as the door was closed behind him.

"What are you two? Drunk?" Piper questioned as Andrianne blushed under the lights of the living room.

"Or in love." Chris chipped in as he smiled at his little sister. "Nice ring. Rose is your birth stone isn't it?" Chris said as he sat down on the cozy couch of the living room.

"You set me up." Andrianne accused. Chris shook his head.

"I remember precisely what you wear out of the house and coming in." Chris said gesturing at her finger. "Engaged already?" He teased.

"He's officially my boyfriend." Andrianne said shyly to her brother and mother.

"Do tell me about your adventurous night." Piper said as she opposite Chris and Andrianne sat beside her brother.

"You smell of Ryan." Chris commented.

"I danced with his father." Andrianne said pointedly. Chris just shook his head. "Well, they threw me a time prom." Andrianne began. "It's a dance with an aged theme. So we talked in old English, as they like to call it. A few friends from the _reader's circle_, Julia, Ryder and Riley was there. We talked and danced and we drank awful tasting punch, which I'm sure was done by Riley." Andrianne smiled.

"Sounds like fun." Piper said. Andrianne nodded. "Better go change and sleep. Tomorrow's a big day." Piper said. She felt as if she had ruined the mood.

"I'll get better mom. I promise." Andrianne said kissing her mother goodnight as Chris trailed behind her to their room. "Thanks Chris, for the wonderful night." Andrianne said as she laid her head on her brother's chest and wrapping her arms around his arm.

"Anything for my little baby girl." Chris whispered in her ears as he hummed the song they both loved. In the matter of a minute, Andrianne heavy lids gave in and she flew to the dreamland. Chris was worried as well as glad to see his sister so peacefully asleep. "You have given me more than I could ever give back to you." Chris said to the little sister in his arm who was tranquil in her sleep.


	18. Pain, Anger, Love

Pain, Anger, Love

Andrianne hated the fact that she does not even have the strength to even get out of bed. Chris cannot even get a foot near her without having to contain tears in his lids. Piper and her sisters could not do much but just to keep her comfortable.

"Andy, there's someone here to see you." Chris said softly as he cocked his head a little from the door.

"If it's my friend, tell them I'm not well and I'm really sorry." Andrianne replied softly.

"Not your school friends. I conjured him." Chris confessed guiltily. Slowly he entered their dimmed bedroom with a special friend in hand. "He's only here for a couple of hours, but that'll do right?" Chris said as a streak of tear rolled down his cheek.

"Chris, you didn't have to do that." Andrianne said propping herself up on her elbow. "Ryan." She smiled as she starched her arm to reach for him.

"I miss you, little princess." Ryan spoke. "The place was not the same without you." He said sadly. "It's never the same without you both."

Ryan was real. He was right in front of her, yet somehow, it felt foreign and untrue to her. Something was wrong. He was there, his emotion was there, but Ryan was not Ryan. He was not real to Andrianne. He was just another being that was conjured out of thin air.

"Do you not like that I am here?" Ryan spoke again breaking the daze Andrianne was in. Chris just stared ahead, not wanting to know or feel anything. He could not cope with seeing Andrianne sick and in pain. "Did you not tell her you conjured me?" He demanded from Chris. "Someone, answer me." The sweet rough voice said.

"You're not Ryan. You might have his brains and some of his emotion but you are not him." Andrianne spoke softly. Chris turned his head to her demanding her explanation. "You should know this as well as I do, bringing humans through time travels are not possible. You are merely capturing his essence of his moment. And conjuring humans from a different time is not possible, not without the power of three."

"I wanted you to forget the pain. I wanted for you to be fine again." Chris said shaking his head in the heel of his palms. Andrianne rose from her bed to where her brother was sitting. "I wanted for you to feel happy."

"You made me the happiest last night. You made me the luckiest person on earth." Andrianne replied. "This pain will go away. This is just an after effect of the chemo and radiation. I have been through worse, Chris. The distraction is useless. Do you not understand how a human mind works?" Andrianne demanded softly to her brother. The conjured man just stood still and said nothing. He was not the man they knew.

Ryan would never let this go on. He would never just sit and see these two siblings in pain. Andrianne was right. The man he conjured was merely an apparition of Ryan, not the man himself. "Andy, I don't know what else to do. I need to be sure that you are okay. I want to be certain that you will make it." Chris said.

"I am okay. I will make it but till when, that's a problem. Even I can't say." Andrianne said. "You know the problem with mortal illness is that, nothing is certain." She said. "I mean if you were pierced with a dark lighter arrow, the poison will kill you eventually, if not treated. If a spell is put on you, the pain is known of what was casted upon, but this, no one know how it would be."

"I want it to be fine." Chris said through gritted teeth.

"Andrianne wrapped her arms around her brother and laid her warm face on his back. "It is fine. I'm fine. I just a little tired." Andrianne whispered to her brother. "When I agreed to do this, I never thought of what you would feel when you see me like this." She said quietly. "I have never felt self anger stronger than what you are channeling right now." Andrianne smiled as she forced her brother's head to turn slowly. "It is not your fault, big brother. It is never your fault."

"No?" Chris questioned her. "Then why do I feel so guilty? Why do I feel so bad for leaving you and just for everything?" He questioned.

"Because you take the pain of the world on your shoulders when you are not supposed to. You take the responsibility of everyone and take the consequences when it happened. Not everything is about you, you know." Andrianne said. "Life is much more than that. He thought me that. You did too." Andrianne said turning to the tall blond man who was sitting on her bed.

Chris touched the wrapped arms around him and curved up a little smile on his face. "How can you be so strong through this?" He questioned.

"You thought her so. I might not be Ryan as a whole but I still have his mind and his memories." The tall blond guy spoke.

Andrianne smiled softly at him. How she wished that he were real. He was the person who knows everything about her. And how she wished she could just tell him how she feels about him. Chris would never approve of it, but she could not stop herself from falling in love with the person closest to her.

Chris looked up at the apparition he conjured. He knew he made a mistake. But soon his mistake was going to be gone, but the feeling, the anger, the pain he was feeling could never go with him. Andrianne studied her brother as she sat on his lap.

"I might be ten, Chris. But you brought me up as an adult. Both of you. You thought me how to survive. What else can you do?" Andrianne smiled. "Don't feel so sad." Andrianne said as her finger traced the outline of Chris' face.

Chris forced a small curve of a smile on his face. He laced his fingers gently caressing Andrianne's hair. He had no word for her; he had lost his voice to speak. He wanted to be brave in front of her, but he could not do it anymore. He had no more strength to pretend.

"Your tears are not going to do any good. It hurts me more to see you broken like this." Andrianne said softly. Her head leaning on his chest feeling the vibration every time he was muffling a sob. She sighed loudly for both Ryan and Chris to hear, slowly she closed her eyes once again fell into a deep sleep.

Drop by drop tears fell on Andrianne's skin as they were shed by Chris. He held her as close as possible, knowing the time they have will not be long. Ryan just kept to himself in the corner of the room. He had not an idea of how to react as he never had seen Chris this broken.

Vigilantly Chris rose from the chair he was sitting in and sat on the bed with his little sister still in his arms. He laid his head back and cradled her like a little baby. The one he raised. The one who will always be close to him.

*******

Chris woke up as the sun shone harshly against his face. Andrianne was no longer in his arms. He was still in the chair as was the night before. As he opened the door, the thick smell of macaroni and cheese filled the air. Andrianne's sweet voice filled the kitchen singing her favorite song he sang to her every day if she was down and when she was a baby as she cried.

"Don't take my sunshine away." Andrianne sang sweetly as she was feeding little Wyatt as Piper was at the stove cooking.

"Someone's happy." Chris said smiling at Andrianne as he walked in the kitchen.

"Cranky's up." Piper said as Andrianne laughed.

"Afternoon to you too, Chris." Andrianne smiled. "Mom's making mac and cheese."

Chris just smiled at his little sister. How she had grown to be a young lady. "You look better today." Chris said as he took a seat beside Andrianne. Andrianne nodded. "Okay sunshine, spill." Chris smirked.

"Can't I just be happy?" Andrianne questioned. Chris shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm eating a home cooked meal, I have you and mom and my big brother Wyatt. What is there not to be happy about?" She said.

"Alright, let me take over feeding the baby and you two eat." Piper said as she laid two bowls of macaroni and cheese on the table.

"Mom, it's almost done." Andrianne replied. Chris waited for his sister to finish and then they went and have their lunch. "You slept crying last night. What's wrong?" Andrianne asked after Piper took Wyatt to his nursery to get changed.

"You. I was scared." Chris replied not looking at Andrianne. "Andy, what am I to do if you're gone?"

"You're Christopher Perry Halliwell, you'll find a way." Andrianne smiled. "Hey, look, I might exist now and I might not later, with the uncertainty of the future, no one can predict." After the line was spoken, the both of them just sat quietly and enjoyed their meal. Piper came down with Wyatt and sat with her other children to eat with them.


	19. Dad

Dad

Andrianne laid her head on Chris' lap as the watch the television. The program that was on does not interest them in the little bit. But they had to put on a show just for Piper. To show they are fine. Having being cooped up in the room, reading or just talking is considered 'not feeling well' to Piper.

"I heard mom talked about dad to Aunt Phoebe." Andrianne started as she sat up beside Chris. Chris just pretended as if he did not hear what she said. "Don't pretend like you didn't hear what I just say Chris." Andrianne said looking at her brother.

"What?" Chris asked. Andrianne just sighed and stared ahead at the television set. "It's not going to make any difference." Chris said quietly. "He was never there and why would he be there for us now?" Chris questioned.

"Maybe he hadn't anytime. Maybe now is the time for you to mend it with him. Maybe this would be different from this point on." Andrianne replied. "He is going to come and Aunt Phoebe is going to tell him everything. The thing is I don't think I could make it to see him."

"What are you saying?" Chris questioned.

"You know how dad is. He'll always take a week longer than anyone else to respond. And I don't think that is only in the future." Andrianne answered.

"I have work in half an hour." Chris said stopping their conversation about their father. "Mom's getting her check up. Are you going with them or, are you going to hang with your boyfriends?" Chris asked.

"Nadim is my boyfriend. Only him. No need for the plurals." Andrianne said slightly annoyed by her brother's acceptance towards her personal life. "Well, Nadim and I are going to the book store then maybe we are going to the park or we might join the _Reader's Circle _torture classes for the one who loves classics a little too much like me." Andrianne said.

"Just make sure you're home before five." Chris said.

"Okay, dad." Andrianne teased him. "Hey, thanks for bringing Ryan." Andrianne said as Chris stood up to get changed for his work in P3. He just smiled at her and walked away.

Andrianne sat flicking the television channels as Chris reappear wearing his more appropriate work clothes and kissed her on her forehead before he orbed out to P3. Andrianne knows that it was not work that made him go but her topic just now. What was there to do in a nightclub at ten in the morning anyways.

"Andrianne, are you coming with me to the clinic?" Piper asked loudly from her room upstairs from where Andrianne were.

"No, mom. I'm going out with Nadim and my friends." Andrianne answered. "And Chris had gone to work already." She said quickly before Piper even asked. Andrianne orbed up stairs to her mother, as she was a little lazy to waste her strength to walk up the stairs to her mother.

"Andrianne, there are a connector to the upper level called the stairs, you know." Piper said straight faced. "Are you sick? Or tired? If you are you're not going out with your boyfriend." Pieper said suddenly.

"No, ma. I'm just fine." Andrianne said calming her mother down. "I need the fresh air, and I am going to be back in one piece. I promise." She smiled. "But that's not what I want to talk to you about." She started as Piper took a seat beside her. "I heard you and Aunt Phoebe were talking in the kitchen last night about dad."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to call Leo. I know the terms he and Chris in right now. Those two hot head, if they meet it's going to be world war three." Piper said.

"No, ma." Andrianne said looking down upon her hands. "I think you should tell dad. I mean he deserve a chance too." Andrianne spoke quietly. "I mean when I came here, thinking that Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige are just like what they were in the future but I was wrong." She paused. "What if with me and Chris coming back are not just to mend our future world, but also to mend our family so we can stay as one unit."

"You know," Piper said cupping her chin up making her eyes meet hers. "For a ten year old, you are far more matured than your brother. You always look at things in many ways before you judge them." Piper said observing her daughter.

"Chris always said what doesn't kill you make you stronger." Andrianne said. "But I think what doesn't kill you make you that much wiser as it make you strong." She smiled to her mother. "You see, ma, Chris have that much things in common with papa, but he just choose to ignore it." Andrianne said remembering the gentleness of Leo a few months ago when she first came.

"Papa?" Piper asked.

"Chris never liked it when I talked about Leo in the house. But Ryan always filled my mind with fantasies, dreams and hope about our family. So we used to talk in French if Chris was around." Andrianne explained.

"Ryan is as close to you as you and Chris?" Piper questioned. Andrianne scrunched her brows, unsure where the question was coming from. "I know about the person Chris conjured for you the night after the treatment." Piper said.

"Oh, that." Andrianne smiled. "Ryan was attacked by a group of demon when he was just a passerby in the park. I was around four or five at that time." Andrianne reminisce. "Before he came along, Chris and Bianca had thought me how to read and write, so I started fairly early since going to school actually required too much money, way more than we could afford." She paused. "Anyways, Ryan was from a broken home, or so he said. Which I did not buy in for a moment because he was sort of rich, and by rich, I mean he went to school and was well educated. So he found a safe place in our safe bunk as Chris like to call it and offered to teach me things he knows and he would share more than just knowledge but also the will to dream and the will of just being free." Andrianne said.

"So you all grew up together?" Piper asked. Andrianne nodded. "Where was I?" She asked. Once again, Andrianne hesitated to answer.

"That's where Wyatt came in. but I don't think you want to hear the sad stories, since it's not much interesting other than killing demon and fighting." Andrianne said uninterestedly. "Bottom line is that is all going to change. And who knows, maybe even if I die now, you will try to have me again." Andrianne smiled.

A honk by a car cut Piper's words in the air before she could proceed more. Andrianne stood up and went to the window only to see her two best friends and boyfriend were waiting for her down stairs.

"I promise to be back before five mom." Andrianne said as she kissed Piper's cheek before heading for the door.

"I will want to have you, my dear. One more thing." Piper said stopping her in her track. "Do you have money?" She asked. Andrianne just smiled and nodded. "Anyways, here are some. Treat yourself today." Piper said as she places a few bills in her daughter's palm.

"Thanks, mom." Andrianne said as she headed down the stairs and took her small purse and her jeans jacket, which was from Phoebe's older pack of clothes. She stuck the bills in her pocket without even counting or even look at it.

"We'll take good care of this particular little brat Ms. Halliwell." Ryder said to the woman in the window from his car. A smack landed on his shoulder as Andrianne got in his car. "Hey, Andy." He said as he locked the door making sure of everyone's safety.

"I'm not a brat." Andrianne said defensively.

"Yes you are." Ryder replied as another hand hit him. "Okay, three against one, that's not fair." Ryder said groaning.

"Dy, tell us if you're not feeling well okay." Nadim said quietly as he sat back on the chair. Andrianne followed suit. "Because I promised your brother to take care of you." He said looking for Andrianne's eyes. Andrianne just nodded silently. As if it was a cue, Ryder pushed the on button on his radio.

The song 'In the End' by Linkin Park blasted loudly on the stereo causing Andrianne to winced. "I know guys have worse hearing than girls, but I didn't know that you guys are deaf." Andrianne said covering her ears with her palms.

"Don't like the music?" Riley mocked Andrianne.

"I like the music, I love Linkin Park. But the volume is too loud." Andrianne said. She felt as if she was shouting to be heard over the loud music with the harsh beat of the drums.

"Alright, she's advance in the literary reading, she good in math and sciences, and she is musically literate. Where have you been all this while?" Ryder said happily. Riley just rolled his eyes looking at his happy brother. Nadim just smiled as Andrianne kept the answer to herself.

The whole day they spent doing what they like most, just hanging out and having fun. I which case is the bookstore, then the rollerblade rink. For a first timer on skates, Andrianne was considered extremely poised as not once she fell. But her strength was draining as the day dimmed to around three.

Both Riley and Nadim knew feeding her is not of the best idea in public, so they took her to Nadim's uncle place and fed her with kebabs. Andrianne had her fair share of fun and lethargy that day but she chose to ignore her tiredness for she was having far too much fun.

"We should send you home before your brother slaughter us for taking you for too long." Ryder said as they sipped their last drop of drinks. Andrianne nodded agreeing with him.

"Thanks for the wonderful day today." Andrianne said softly as she entered the car.

"Our pleasure, my little brat." Ryder replied. Andrianne could not do much, as he loves to call her that all the time. The drive home was a little quieter as they were all too drained for the day. Stealthily Nadim pulled out a paper and stuffed it in Andrianne's purse.

'Open it at home.' He mouthed to her. Andrianne just nodded. Ryder was not even paying attention anymore as his eyes were focused on the road and the un known music that were playing in his car audio system.

"Who is this singer?" Andrianne questioned no one in particular. Riley and Nadim just shrugged.

"Kids." Ryder smiled. "It's Josh Groban." Ryder said. Andrianne nodded, as she knew she had heard his voice before but not this song. "This song is called," Ryder stalled, as he himself was not sure of the name of the song.

"You're still you." Nadim said. Riley who was slumped on the shotgun seat immediately turned around. "I hear this song every day, I just don't know the singer." He said. A burst of laughter flooded the car and it finally came to a halt as the car stopped in front of the Halliwell manor.

*******

The familiar strong sweet musky smell filled the air as Andrianne finished refreshened herself and got ready for their family dinner. Not that she eats much but out of respect and also out of habit, she does it anyway. Andrianne turned and looked for her brother. He did not have any idea it was coming his way. Could this have been a result of the conversation she had with her mother earlier or could this have been of Phoebe's doing.

"Chris, I want you to listen to me for once." Andrianne said closing back the door behind her as she rushed to her brother's side. Chris was too stunned by her action, just nodded. "Dad's outside. I can't sense any anger or frustration from him, meaning he still doesn't have a clue who we are, but I don't want you to fight with him okay." Andrianne said quietly pleading to her brother.

"Andy, Chris. What's taking you both so long?" Paige's impatient voice called. Chris took in a deep breath and nodded. Hand in hand, they walked together to the dinner table that was filled with feast.

"What's the occasion?" Chris asked sarcastically.

"Before we eat, I have something to tell you, Leo." Piper started. Instantly Andrianne felt regret was channeled from Piper. She regretted talking to Piper this morning too. "As you already know, Chris is here from the future to stop Wyatt from turning evil." Piper said hesitating.

"What you don't know is that we are your children." Andrianne finished Piper's sentence. Leo's calm face scrunched up in suspicion. Both Andrianne and Piper felt as though a thousand pounds of weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The big secret was out. Chris was fuming with anger but he knew Andrianne just wanted him to be a part of this family as a whole. She was correcting his mistakes. His anger that lead to Piper and Leo's separation in the first place.

Leo just stood still then he orbed out of the room. Just like he always does. Andrianne shook her head. She was wrong about her father was a better person than she had ever given him credit for. Chris was right; he was selfish and never cared for either of them.

"Chris don't." Andrianne said shooting up from her seat. "Please don't. He don't need to know if he chooses not to." Andrianne said as she touched Chris' hand. Chris' face was flushed red with anger. He was not even thinking straight at that moment. All he wants to do was just to pull his father back down and pin him down and just tell him all of what he had done.

Minutes passed by, as the room was silent as the graveyard. "Have I not told you what kind of man he is?" Chris spoke finally.


	20. Hope

Hope

'What have I done?' Andrianne thought to herself alone in the dark. 'Why must I tell him about dad, why must I tell mom about us.' She whispered silently to her little broken heart. When he orbed out, she felt as if all her hopes and all her dreams were meaningless. She might have understood him in the future, because of what he had done, but now. What had Chris done to make him go away? What did she do?

A single tear fell on the pillow. Gradually soaking it with grief and anger. Quietly Chris came in the room and sat beside his sister as placed his caring hand softly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"It's not your fault, Chris. I should have known better." Andrianne replied. She turned and sat up a little to face her brother. "I just want to be alone, okay?" She requested softly. Chris just nodded and lazily he left her in the room.

A soft knock of pebbles showered Andrianne's window made the smile reappear on Andrianne's face. Without even having to open the curtain, she was certain of who it was. Andrianne just shook it off and stayed still in her bed. She does not need another being telling her he's sorry for something that even they do not know of.

"Dy, come on. Pick up your phone. I'm sorry about the letter." Andrianne heard Nadim whispered from outside of her house. "Dy, please." He said a little louder. Andrianne quickly scrambled her purse to look for the piece of paper that she had totally forgotten about.

"Hey, one day, my brother is so going to catch you outside…" Andrianne said in a whispery tone as she opened the window. Andrianne opened her mouth to continue to speak when Chris appeared at the front door with his arms folded across his chest.

"Why can't you just ring the bell or just knock?" Chris questioned the embarrassed young man in front of him. Nadim's face went rosy pink to crimson flush in a second.

"Come on Chris," Andrianne said looking at her brother from her room window. "Not like you haven't done the same thing while you were with Bianca." Andrianne whined. The tears she cried were dried on her face. Chris looked up at her and a small curve of a smile formed on his face. At least she was not crying anymore.

"Don't make a habit out of this." Chris said quietly hoping Andrianne did not hear him. Nadim was led to their living room and Andrianne was summoned. "Not too late." Chris warned the both of them as he retreated to the room where he shared with his little sister. Andrianne just smiled as she nods once to her brother. Chris wanted to be protective of her but at the same time, he don't want to be hovering over her.

Andrianne led Nadim to the backyard where it was airy and there was no one out there. Blanketed by the sky filled with stars, witnessed by the moon and accompanied by the cooling breeze of early October, Nadim and Andrianne choose the grass as their floor. They looked up in the sky as one little shooting star fell.

"Dream a wish and it shall come true." Nadim said quietly. Andrianne smiled as she turned her head looking at Nadim's sweet face. "Care to tell?" He asked.

"Well," Andrianne started. "I can't. If I do, it would not be true then. And a shooting star can only hear our secret wish. If I tell you it will no longer be a secret." Andrianne said.

"Dy, I'm really sorry about the letter." Nadim said suddenly as he turned his head towards the ground. "I'm really really sorry, Dy."

"I am too." Andrianne said as Nadim then turned his head slowly looking at her with questioning eyes. "Actually, I totally forgotten about the letter. It's not even read yet." Andrianne confessed. A sigh of relief escaped from Nadim's mouth.

"I'm glad you did not. As much as I mean what I say in the letter, I don't want to hurt you. That is why I here tonight. But it seems something else beat me to your tears." Nadim spoke gently. "What happened Dy?"

"So many things happened, things that I wished it didn't and things that I want it to be not real." Andrianne answered vaguely. "What's the content of the letter, Nadim?" Andrianne asked as she pulled out the piece of paper from her pocket.

Nadim took it gently as he opened and began to read it to Andrianne. "Dear Andy, I am truly sorry to do it this way to you. As long as we had known each other, I know I am no more as merely a close friend to you. The day outside of the nurse's office, I heard you were talking to Ryder about a guy name Ryan. As I heard, he is and always will be your first love."Nadim stopped. He felt a lump growing in his throat as he continued to speak.

"Nadim, oh god. You missed understood." Andrianne said quietly as she touched the young man's arm softly. "Ryan is, was my tutor. The one who thought me everything I know and want to know." Andrianne explained. "I have a secret that I can tell no one apart from my brother." Andrianne spoke. "I want to tell you everything about it and I want to share with you all I feel right now, but I can never do that. Just let me take whatever I have inside me to my grave." She said so softly it strained Nadim to even hear her. "I had a feeling you wanted us to be over the day of the dance you all did for me." Andrianne said quietly.

"And you were so close with Riley and Ryder, sometimes makes me wonder why you even say I'm your boyfriend." Nadim said.

"Well, when I first come here, I thought I would not stay here long. I really thought having one or two friends would be fine. But when I saw you, you remind me greatly of someone I knew back in my place. Some one that helped me through my hardships. The thing is the man is almost twenty-five years older than I am. When I see you in Math for the first time, it really hit me that you were the man. Or at least going to be him." Andrianne said as she stood up. "Nadim if I tell you something I need you to keep it to yourself and promise me not a single ear would hear of it ever."

Nadim followed suit and inched nearer to her. He placed his palms on the little of Andrianne's back. "I promise." Nadim said seriously. His tone was low and convincing, but most importantly, it sounded sincere.

"This may sound crazy and even silly." Andrianne said turning her head towards him. Nadim just stared into her eyes ever willingly to hear even the most incoherent thing he could even think of. "I'm not from out of town." Andrianne started. "I'm from a different year." She said, Nadim's brow furrowed. "I'm from the future. I came back to correct what's wrong." Andrianne said. Her voice quivered with doubt suddenly.

Nadim turned his frown into a smile. He really thought Andrianne was just messing with him. "Dy, I know you are a good story teller but that doesn't mean you have to do it all the time." Nadim said smiling at the young girl.

Andrianne turned away from him a little disappointed in his disbelief. Of all the people she trusted, she thought he would be the one to understand and to belief in her, like he did in the future. "I'm not telling lies, Nadim." She said quietly. "When I came here and saw you and Riley were friends I was shocked. Because in my time you are rivals. I had no idea how close you are with each other. But the thing is, the rivalry was over something really silly." She elaborated. "I cannot say much about the future, I can't tell what is going to happen if I do and you change the course of the future and the future will have a different outcome. But I do hope you two will not be like you are in my future." Andrianne said.

"You are serious." Nadim questioning tone made Andrianne more angry with him by being a little too slow to pick up from her words.

"As a tumor." Andrianne replied sarcastically.

Nadim shook his head at her sense of humor at that particular moment. "But that still doesn't explain of Ryan." He challenge.

"Ryan Ritter Smith." Andrianne spoke the name one by one. Each carried a weight of chill that shoot through her bones as she say it.

"Mr. Smith has another son?" Nadim asked skeptically.

"Mr. Smith's grandson. Ryder's only son. My tutor, my savior and my best friend." Andrianne answered. "I was born to a family of witches who still practices witch craft and the world in the future is not all peace and utopic, it is far worse than that." Andrianne said as her voice writhe in pain. "But believe me, Dim. If I could love you with all my heart without having the picture of you and your happy family when you are older, I would. But I can't betray myself and getting involved into a steady relationship. Not when I'm ten and you are twelve. There are still many things to be explored and there are still many people we should get to know before settling for only one."

"But you said by changing the past changes the future." Nadim said. "I had or have, a happy family then because I never met or know you. How do you know you did not change that?" He questioned.

"Dim," Andrianne sighed. "Just trust me. You love her so much, and I can't take you from your destiny. And I am not supposed to be born for another twelve years." Andrianne replied.

"But I will always remember you as my first crush and first love." Nadim countered her. Andrianne smiled shyly at him.

"Do you really?" Andrianne asked. A nod suffice an answer for her. "Dim, you know that even if I could stay in this time, I still don't know how long could I live." Andrianne said as her eyes searched for his.

A loud crashing sound stopped their conversation entirely. Piper's loud scream alarmed both Andrianne and Nadim as they ran inside to the commotion. The living room was practically a wreck with Chris throwing his father everywhere and Leo did nothing but being hit.

"Chris." Andrianne yelled as she came in and saw Chris was pinning Leo down on the ground. Piper was right behind him trying to pull him away from his father. "Chris stop this." Andrianne said nearing her brother but was stopped by Nadim. "Chris, that's dad, you're beating." Andrianne advance as she snatched her hands away from Nadim.

"This, is what you called a father?" Chris voiced filled with wrath. "This meat, that does nothing but blamed us for what happened?" He said without even looking at Andrianne. With each line, another punch landed on Leo's face. Still he did nothing to resist.

"He is still my father." Andrianne said pulling at Chris' arm. Chris flexed his arm and Andrianne fell around almost five feet from him. The thump of her fall made Chris realized what he did as Leo shove him to a side and Nadim, Piper as well as Leo rushed towards Andrianne.

"Rianne." Leo said as he laid her head on his lap. Red liquid sipped into his golden robe he was wearing. A soft yellowish-orange glow escaped from his palm as the superficial wound on the back of Andrianne's head began to disappear. Although the blood flow were not stopping.

"Dy?" Nadim spoke softly as he wiped the blood softly from Andrianne's face. "Open your eyes." He said. "Everyone's here. Everyone's looking at you pretty girl." He whispered as he felt she was slipping away from her mother, from her brother, from her father and most importantly from him. "Andy, Chris hurting bad looking at you like this. Open your eyes."

"Andy, I'm sorry." Chris whispered silently from a far. He did not inch a move from where he stood beating up his father. Andrianne lids fluttered opened slowly at the ring of his voice.

"Chris." A whisper escaped her mouth. "Stop it." She continued.

"It's over, honey." Piper said softly. "It's over."

"Chris." Andrianne called a little above a whisper. Struggling to even sit, Andrianne pushed herself anyway. "Don't hurt dad, Chris." She said quietly. Her eyes were empty but it was staring straight at Chris.

"Andrianne?" Chris spoke curiously nearing her. "She's seizing." Chris said quickly. "Mom?" Chris looked to Piper, his eyes pleading in vain. "I'm sorry." He said apologetically. "I did this to her mom. I did this to her." Chris said breaking down.

"Oh, Chris. You can't keep doing this to yourself. Andrianne, would be very upset to see you like this."Piper said holding Chris hand in one hand and Andrianne's in another. "She's not seizing. She's just not awake." Piper said questioning her son.

"It's an absence seizure. I don't know how to explain this. She sometimes get it for two or three minutes." Chris explained. His hands were on Andrianne wrist feeling every beat of her pulse. Counting it.

Andrianne's face turned into a frown, just as quickly she blinked. Sort of out from a daze or a spell, Andrianne was back to them, finally. "How long was I out?" Andrianne said suddenly. Chris smiled at his sister.

"Three and a half." Chris replied. A sigh of relief escaped from all four of them. "You gave your boyfriend a scare." He teased. Nadim blushed shyly.

"I'm sorry for leaving." Leo said quietly. Andrianne turned quiet shocked to see her father behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Dad." Andrianne said in awe. She nodded.

"No she's not." Chris said harshly. His soft eyes instantly harden as he looked at Leo. "She's not fine and she is not going to be." He said.

"Chris. Enough already." Andrianne pleaded. "He don't need to know. He will eventually sooner or later." She whispered quietly to her brother. "Just don't hurt him. You are not him." Andrianne said quietly. "Don't be him." She pleaded.

Piper looked questioningly at her children. Something terrible must have happened. There must be something bad that they witnessed to make her son hate his own father and Andrianne to feel the same at times. Piper sad eyes looked at Leo.

"I'm sorry, dad. But why are you here?" Andrianne asked.

"I wanted to apologize for the other day. Your mother told me about you, I was too shocked and I didn't think." Leo replied.

"Have you ever?" Chris said looking away.

"Dad, mom wants you to see me before I go." Andrianne ignored her brother. Chris eyes moisten as helped her up and walked her to the couch in the living room. Nadim just trailed them and sat a little further than the family. "Dim, why so far?" Andrianne asked as she gestured for him to sit near by them.

"You've got a way to go back?" Leo questioned. Piper's eyes instantly looked at Nadim. He just smiled at Piper. "I assumed he knows." Leo lowered his head as he shook his head.

"I knew. She just told me." Nadim said quietly.

"No dad." Andrianne smiled. Leo looked at her questioningly. "I have a tumor in my brain. My days are counted." She said quietly. Her voice posed that she had accepted her fate. She had gone over the fact that she was going to die.

"Dy, There are still hope." Nadim cut her. Chris smiled at the boy. He had just read Chris' mind.

"Hey, we'll meet again one day. If time permits." Andrianne said. As if it was a cue, a car honked marking the sign that Nadim's time with Andrianne was up. "See you in school tomorrow." Andrianne said as she rose from the chair.

"I'll see my way out." Nadim said, smiling. "See you." He smiled. "Good night." He said to all as he walked to wards the front door.

As Nadim went out and the car had gone, the family continued back their talk. "I'm really sorry." Leo said again.

"Dad." Andrianne spoke as her eyes fixed on her father. "I've forgiven you a long time ago. Just that, I really hope you will not turn out like you are in our future. I can't say it but I hope you can know." Andrianne said.

"Andrianne, I would if I can. If I know what I have to change. Help me." Leo said. Chris just shook his head. "Chris, tell me what did I do to make you hate me this much." Leo demanded.

"What didn't you do?" Chris said raising his voice.

"Chris." Andrianne said holding him back. "He's our father. Remember what you are." Andrianne said.

"Just tell me please." Leo said.

"Chris, don't say a word. Let me. I don't want two to fight anymore. Please." Andrianne pleaded at Chris. "Dad, you were never there for any of us. Not once. You left mom when you knew I was coming. You came and you hit Chris, worse than what he did. Only that he was sixteen. He covered for me. Since then we never saw you again." Andrianne told as her eyes fixed on her hands. She could hear Chris' labored breath.

"That was," Leo spoke.

"Yes. That was the reason. I'm sorry dad. We never knew you. You never tried." Andrianne said softly. "You never gave us the chance. But that this have not happened yet. I might not happen." Chris breath stopped as he listen to his sister.

"Andy, what are you saying." Chris demanded.

"Chris, mom's carrying you right now. In twelve years time we don't know what might happen." Andrianne reasoned.

"Oh, little girl. I will try and try to get you. We will." Leo said as he extended his hands.

"Dad, mom. I'm tired. I think I should go in my room." Andrianne said as she motion for Chris to go in with her. Leo and Piper just nodded as the both of them rose and headed for their room.

"She's different. We're both hotheaded, she's calm. Chris. He's so much like you." Piper said smiling at her husband. She hoped he will turn into a better person for the sake of their children. He hoped he will never make the same mistake that makes his children hated him so much.

"Mom!" Chris screamed from the room. His voice broken and in pain. She knew the day they had all dreaded had come for them. A little too soon for her and a little too much for Chris. Piper froze in her seat as tears streamed down her face. Leo sat beside her trying to comfort her with no success. Leo shed tears as well. His daughter. His only daughter. She waited for him.


	21. Final Farewell

Final Farewell

Chris' knee sank in the floorboard. His hands holding what was once his little sister but she was gone. Only the dress she was wearing and the memories of her surrounds the room. Her scent, her essence and her things were all still there. It seemed like she was never gone. But, she was no more in his arms.

Piper knocked and went in the room and hugged her son instantly. "She's gone, mom. She's gone." Chris cried in despair. "She left me."

"We'll meet her again, Chris. I promise you." Piper said with her son sobbing on her shoulder. He was way beyond broken, beyond shattered. He was crushed to his core. "She's always is with you. She always will be, Chris."

Nothing in the world mattered to him anymore. Nothing Piper or anyone else could say to change his mind. Nothing that anyone could do to heal what he was feeling. Yet he never would have felt as Piper felt. There is no pain greater than losing a child. More over a special child that she had no time to know.

Leo was frozen in his seat not knowing what had hit him and his family. His heart was numbed. He felt as if his blood was frozen in his veins. She had been waiting for him to tell him to change to go forward. She was waiting for the right time to tell him. She could have told him when Chris was out cold by Bianca, yet she waited till the day she knew she was going.

It was till the next morning that Nadim and the rest of Andrianne's friends were informed about her moving on. Mr. Smith and his sons went straight after school along with Nadim. Nadim sat on the lawn where they were speaking just the night before. He could still hear her soft laughter and her sweet scent.

Nadim had a strange feeling of the cremation was just a story to cover for what actually happened. He knew something must have happened to Andrianne. He was so sure that Andrianne did not move on; instead, she just went back to her real time and continued her life there.

"Chris, can I talk to you?" Nadim called the elder boy as he looked up at him. "Chris followed him to the back yard. "Andrianne did not die." Nadim said desperately wanting to believe himself. "I have this weird feeling that she would be there, only in a different time and circumstances." He spoke. "I want to prove myself. I want you to keep this book we bought together, something I wrote with her is in it, we wrap it in a plastic and bury it here. In twenty two years time, or less, she will come and see me." Nadim said as he handed Chris a copy of _Jane Eyre_.

Chris just smiled to the younger boy. He too wanted to feel the same and wanted it to come true. "I hope that is true. I really do." Chris said.

It was the same night Chris and Piper took a clear bag and put all Andrianne's favorite things in it and buried it in the yard. A place he used to play as a child and a place where she likes to dig when she was younger.

"When she finds this. I hope the bad memories will not be there for her. Only the happy and great ones." Piper said as she patted the wet earth. Chris closed his eyes whispering to himself only for his heart to hear as a final tear dropped on the earth beneath his palm.

*******

"Earlier this week, we lost a brilliant student to the battle of cancer. She was everyone's friend, and she was every teacher dream student. As much as she tried, she finally lost her battle last Wednesday night. I would like all students to observe this moment of silence and pray for Andrianne Perry." Principal Messner announced.

The _Reader's Circle _was cancelled for the week and they had also gone to Andrianne's remembrance service that was done in the Halliwell Manor on Thursday after school. Many felt her absence and yet some really mourned for her.

*******

Never had Chris felt such a great loss before. Even when his mother died, he did not feel this bad. He felt as if even if the world ended today, there would be nothing more he could regret. He felt as if he had nothing else to live for. As he had lost the most precious thing in his life. His gem, his precious, his best friend, his sister.

"Chris." Piper knocked softly. "You can't hide in there forever. The future you came to change might have already changed." Piper said softly behind the closed door. Three days after the service for Andrianne, Chris had done nothing other than eat and sat in the room he shared with his sister. His eyes were still red and puffy from all the crying.

"Chris, she was our daughter." Leo's voice said softly. He had been there since the day they had their talk. The day they lost their little girl. Regret and remorse was thick in his voice. He would still have the chance of having Andrianne again. He knows he will have her back.

Slowly Chris opened the door. At the risk of having getting pounced by Chris again, Leo did not care as he touched his son's hand gently. Like an electrical jolt shot through them both as the father and son realized and brought back to reality.

It was her time. He had promise her that. The least he could do is to keep to his promise. Leo had promised her to change, as Chris had to give his father a chance. Andrianne might not be alive in the flesh, but she was surely alive in their hearts and soul.

Andrianne gave them a hope to change and a will to do them. Andrianne had left them more than a footprint in the house but she had left them as a family. What once was broken now was mended. What once was apart not as one.

* * *

This is The End of my fiction...  
Reviews are very much appreciated...  
I hope you all enjoyed reading it...


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